As Luck Would Have It
by XxTartLoverxX
Summary: What would have happened to Stephanie Plum had Ranger not been able to meet with her that fateful day? How different would her life have turned out. You've read the original version, now read mine. AU/AR story that starts at the very beginning of the series. All the characters are there, but may seem a little different. Tart story but Ranger and Joe are not harmed.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Characters that you recognize don't belong to me and sadly never will. I make no money from this publication. The only reward I get is reading your amazing reviews.

Here we go again on another adventure. This story is complete and I'll post on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This was actually the second full length story that I finished and it's been sitting in my file for over a year. With the help of my beta, Potterwench, and the gentle nudging of some very dear friends, MyMerryMen and WishingIwasLester'sGirl, I decided to clean it up and put it up here for you all to enjoy. I'm warning you now, it's an AU/AR tart story with lots of sex, drama, and of course plenty of happy. I hope you all enjoy it.

And now...without further ado...on with the show!

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**Chapter 1**

Have you ever had something happen to you that you thought was the end of the world, but it turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to you? To recognize the fact that the bad things in my life can turn into something good took me a long time to grasp. I was more of a live in denial land type of person when the bad things happened, instead of facing them and dealing with them, I ignored them and went about my life like normal. Not a smart move. I'd been living in denial land for six months when suddenly, it ended and I could no longer hide.

Six months ago, the unthinkable happened and I lost my job. I didn't do anything wrong, and I was actually really good at it so I wasn't expecting the sudden loss of income. The company I worked for, E.E. Martin, decided to divert some company money into personal accounts. According to the FBI, that's embezzling and they came and closed them down after arresting all the senior management. So, through no fault of my own, I was jobless and almost out of savings to live on. I had to watch my old high school boyfriend repossess my little red sports car. Watching him load my vehicle that I loved so much, onto the flat-bed truck was enough to kick my butt out of denial land. I knew I was in trouble.

The rent for my little one room, out dated apartment was due the next week and I didn't have the funds to cover it. My pantry and refrigerator were bone dry and I had no cash for groceries. In order to survive, I'd been eating dinner at my parent's house every night just to have something to eat. My mom was getting curious about my frequent visits though because I never spent that much time with them before now. I knew that I needed to find a job and I needed to find one fast.

But it wasn't like I hadn't been looking. I'd sent in my résumé to places all over Trenton, Newark and even Philadelphia. The commute would be killer, but I'd do it for a job. However, it turned out I was either under qualified or over qualified for the positions the places had available. I wondered how I could be over qualified. If I wanted to waste my degree and experience to work the front desk of a chain hotel, then that should have been my choice, right? Well, I guess not.

I was at my wit's end and I was running out of options. I didn't really want to tell my parents about my lack of a job because I knew what their reaction would be. It would just be one more thing that I did to embarrass my mother and I would get the 'why me' lecture. I'd never done anything to make her proud of me, so I guess I really shouldn't have worried about my lack of employment disappointing her too. Sighing with resignation, I decided that tonight at dinner would be the best opportunity to tell them about my desperate situation. It wasn't something I was looking forward to.

Maybe, I could just tell them quickly and then deflect the conversation towards something else. I wondered what gossip was going on in the Burg? Hopefully, there was something juicy happening with one of the neighbors and my mom wouldn't even worry about me. Scoffing, I thought, "Yeah right Stephanie, you're not that lucky."

Calling for a cab, I walked down to the front of my building and waited for it to arrive. Another positive thing I had to look forward to was pulling out my old car to use no matter how much I hated it. My car in high school was an old Pinto that smelled like rotten cheese. It was the color of piss and had rust spots over fifty percent of its body. My dad kept it locked in the garage saying that he couldn't ever get rid of a classic. Last I heard it still ran, so it looked like I'd be driving the piss-mobile once again. Wasn't it just my lucky day?

Dinner at my parents was always an interesting affair. My grandmother, who lived in the house with my parents, was a lot like me. Well, I guess it was more that I was a lot like her. We were independent, curious, stubborn, and both of us refused to conform to the ideas of other people. She was way past her prime, but lived her life like there was no tomorrow. Her outfits were usually designed for a much younger person and sadly her sex life was more active than mine was. Sad, I know.

Tonight's dinner was no different from any other. My grandma was wearing pale pink hip-hugger lounge pants with 'Juicy' written in red glitter letters across her saggy bottom. The tight jacket, that went with the outfit, was too short and her pale wrinkled skin peeked out from between the two pieces of clothing. The words on the jacket spelled 'Lover' when it was properly zipped up. However, my feisty grandma had it unzipped to an, almost, indecent level. Her newest boy toy, was with her and watching the two of them together made me almost not want to eat. He was just as old as Grandma Mazur, but looked like he weighed about 100 pounds heavier. I cringed thinking of them together later on that night.

Being in tune with her children was a 'Burg mother's calling, so my mom could tell something was wrong the second I walked in the door. Immediately, she began the Burg inquisition.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum. Why did your car get repossessed today? Your neighbor called me to tell me that that nice young man Benny Hillman drove up with a flat-bed truck and took your car away. Didn't you used to date him? Maybe you should call him and invite him to dinner sometime." The important thing to know about my mother was she thought I was destined to become a housewife just like her. She was always trying to fix me up with available men, even though I was not interested in dating anyone. What she didn't understand was that I had no intentions of ever getting married again.

My first marriage to Dickie Orr was a disaster of epic proportions. We met in college and he was in law school, so that meant perfect husband in the eyes of my mother and the 'Burg. We dated for a few months and when he proposed, my mother was so excited that I felt like I had to say yes. She told me he'd make a wonderful, loving husband. Sadly, no one told him about being wonderful and loving though because not even a week after the wedding, I found him with my arch-nemesis Joyce Barnhardt on the dining room table, and they weren't eating dinner. Needless to say, that marriage ended in a court battle that is still talked about in the 'Burg. The legendary Plum-Orr divorce case was probably studied in law classes. I don't know that for sure, but I can imagine it. It makes me feel good thinking something good came out of that nightmare.

Now, one would think that my mother would understand my hesitation after going through something like that, right? Nope. Exactly one week after my divorce was finalized, she invited me to dinner only to introduce me to eligible bachelor number one. That dinner began a parade of available men that she thought would make a good second husband for me. She didn't understand that I wasn't interested in dating anyone. I hadn't dated anyone since Dickie and I had no desire to start again. I also had no desire to become a stay at home housewife with the subsequent 2.5 kids and a dog which is what the men she was throwing at me wanted. I didn't want that life. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be different. I wanted to fly.

My mother's harsh voice snapped me back to reality. "Stephanie. Are you listening to me? What's going on?" made me realize that I couldn't put off telling my family the truth any longer.

"Yes, Mom, my car got repossessed today. I need to tell you and Dad something, but you have to promise to not throw a fit about it." I saw her roll her eyes and make the 'get on with it' motion with her hand. Sighing, I let the reality of my poor excuse for an existence flow out of my mouth. "I lost my job with E.E. Martin six months ago." I heard both my parents gasp as my grandma yelled what I had just said to her date.

My mother's voice was both shrill and full of awe. "Six months ago? Where have you been working?"

"I haven't been working, Mom. I lived off my savings, but that's gone now. They took my car and I'm going to lose my apartment if I don't find a job soon. I've looked everywhere and just can't find anyone to hire me." I sat and waited for the barrage of insults and 'why me' that my mother always spouted.

Surprisingly, those never came. "Well, you can just move in back here with us until you find something. Maybe you'll find a husband before you find a job. Then you wouldn't have to worry about working." I shuddered at the thought of moving back in with my parents. Four people in a house with one bathroom. No thank you! My father didn't look too thrilled about that idea either.

"You know, I think your cousin Vinnie is looking for a file clerk for the bonds office. I can call him for you and see if you can work for him. It's a job and will keep you in your own place." My father reached for the phone, but I stopped him before he could make the call. I hated my cousin Vinnie. He was a few years older than me and was a weasel with a capital 'W'. He married into the mob and was owned by his father-in-law. Harry the Hammer actually owned the bonds office and just allowed Vinnie to run it. Vinnie did more business with farm animals than with criminals though and it was rumored that he had a sexual relationship with a duck. Nasty!

"Don't call him. I'll run by there tomorrow and talk to him in person. Thanks Daddy." I kissed his cheek and followed my mom into the kitchen to help her finish dinner.

We weren't in the kitchen long before she started in on me. "You're not really going to work at the bonds office, Stephanie. It's no place for a housewife to work. You would be around criminals all day. It's not safe."

"I'm just going to talk to him tomorrow. Relax, Mom, it's an office job. I probably won't see any criminals." At least I hoped I didn't. I would need to clarify that with Weasel, err Vinnie, tomorrow.

We sat down to dinner right at 6:00 PM. That's the way my mother ran her household. If you were late, then you were the cause of the meal being ruined and she made sure to let you know that it was completely your fault. I've ruined my share of dinners and it was never fun.

The conversation during the meal was pleasant. My grandma and her 'friend' spent the meal feeding each other bites of food while my father kept his face in his plate and didn't speak to anyone. My mother talked in between sips of her wine about my lack of a family. According to her, my window was closing and I needed to find a husband and have kids soon. I was getting too old. I was twenty-seven, so I didn't feel the need to hurry.

My favorite part of dinner at my parents was always dessert. My mother could nag me and annoy the crap out of me, but she was one hell of a baker. I loved her desserts and tonight was my favorite. Pineapple upside down cake. Yummy! I ate two pieces and then stored two more pieces for later. They would make a marvelous midnight snack or an even better breakfast.

Once I'd stayed an adequate length of time for proper visiting, I made my excuses and got ready to leave. I loved my family, but I could only handle so much of them at a time and that limit had been met days ago.

Grabbing the keys to the piss-mobile from my dad, I made my way to the garage with my leftovers. The car hadn't changed at all, but it looked even uglier than it had years before. It had no radio and no a/c and the cab of the car filled with smoke if you let it idle too long. As much as I hated driving it, at least it was a car and it would save me from having to walk everywhere.

I made it back to my apartment and put the leftovers my mother sent with me into the refrigerator. I needed to make those leftovers last a few days so I didn't have to go back to dinner at my parent's house again. Deciding I could eat half tomorrow and then the rest the day after, I flopped on my bed in my thinking position. I needed to think about the possibility of working for Vinnie.

Was I really going to ask Vinnie for a job? I hated Vinnie. He creeped me out, but if he was willing to pay me for shoving papers into file cabinets then I needed to give it a shot. I didn't think it would be that hard and it would be a way for me to survive. Moving back in with my parents was NOT an option I wanted to think about. With a plan in my head, I quickly changed my clothes and crawled into bed. There was no point in turning on my TV because I'd lost my cable months ago and my rabbit ears only picked up channel five with was PBS. There was nothing on that channel that I had any desire to see.

The next morning, my alarm sounded entirely too early and I struggled to motivate myself out of bed. I had to keep chanting to myself, 'going to get a job so you don't have to live with parents'. Pathetic, I know, but it worked. It was motivation enough to get me moving.

I showered and dressed in an old business suit that I had left over from my E.E. Martin days. I wasn't positive what a file clerk wore to the office, but I guessed that the suit would be good enough for an interview. I skipped the panty hose since it was the middle of June and slid my feet into a pair of comfortable five-inch heels. Yes I said comfortable heels. I was a Jersey girl. We get our first pair of high heels on our eighth birthday. Our feet have evolved to walk in outrageously high heels without pain or discomfort. It's a gift.

After I was properly dressed and my hair and make-up were done perfectly, I walked out to my kitchen to feed Rex. He had been my only companion for the past three years. He was a hamster, but I swear he understood what I was saying to him and I understood what his whisker twitches meant. We had worked out our own form of ESP.

"Wish me luck, Rex. Maybe I can afford to buy you some decent food after today." His black eyes glared at me and his nose twitched twice. See, he told me 'good luck and to buy him some Cheetos if I went shopping. They were his favorite.

I prayed on the way down to the parking lot that someone replaced the Pinto with a Mustang, but my luck had never been that good. Sitting by the dumpster was my piece of shit car. Maybe someone would blow it up so I wouldn't have to drive it anymore. That would be nice.

Even though it was early in the morning, it was still hotter than hell outside. So by the time I got to the office, I was sweating like a whore in church. I'm sure I looked super attractive. Not that it mattered what I looked like. I wasn't trying to impress anyone. Vinnie was always slimy, so I didn't think he'd even notice.

When I pulled up in front of the bonds office, I noticed a shiny black SUV parked right in front of the door. The man who got out made my breath catch in my throat. I've seen good looking men before, but DAMN. He was hot. I watched him walk into the office and talk to Vinnie's secretary and then he walked out and climbed back into the SUV and left.

If men like him came into the office every day, I would be there all day every day. job or no job. It could be my new hang out. I might just pay Vinnie to let me sit and watch sexy man for a few minutes every day.

Shaking the lusty thoughts out of my head, I got myself together and walked into the bonds office to beg for a job. I really didn't want to live with my parents.

Vinnie's secretary smiled at me when I walked in. "Stephanie Plum?" I looked at the woman confused. How the hell did she know me? "I'm Connie Rosolli. I was friends with your sister, Val, in high school. I haven't seen you in years. What brings you here?" I remembered the name Connie but I didn't recognize her at all. She had to have had some work done if you know what I mean. Val's friend Connie was barely a B cup and the woman in front of me was obviously a DD.

"Connie, it's good to see you again. You don't look like I remember." My eyes trailed to her chest as she blushed.

"Yeah, well a good doctor can fix anything that God messed up on you." We laughed for a few minutes and then spent some time talking about old friends and the latest gossip in the 'Burg. After about an hour of laughing and talking, I got down to the reason why I was there.

"Do you know if Vinnie still needs a file clerk? I'm desperate for a job." Connie made a face and I knew that I was shit out of luck.

"Sorry Steph. He filled it earlier today. We are in need of Bond Enforcement Agent though. Ours is out with some stupid surgery." I had no clue what a Bond Enforcement Agent was, but I was willing to try anything to get some money.

"Sounds good. What do they do?" Connie looked like she was thinking about something and then pulled out her nail file. She ran it over her nails while she talked to me.

"A BEA is another name for a bounty hunter. When Vinnie posts bail and the losers skip their court date, it's up to you to bring them back into police custody." Oh shit. I'd watched that Dog the Bounty Hunter on TV. There was no way I could do stuff like that.

"Umm...you honestly think I could be a bounty hunter?" I looked at her skeptically.

"Sure. You're smart and know most everyone we post bonds for. You could find the people hiding in the 'Burg that our normal guy has trouble with. I think you would be great." Well, I guess I did know a whole lot of people, so that might make it easier.

"Aren't these guys dangerous? I mean, I don't want to get hurt." She shook her head.

"We use RangeMan to pick up the big bonds or the real bad guys. They are all ex-military and have no problems with them. You would be in charge of the low and medium bonds. Most of them aren't dangerous." The job was sounding better. Not dangerous was a good thing.

"Why don't you take one file and see what you can do with it? If you like it then we'll give you more, if you don't then it's no harm no foul." She passed me a file and I opened it to read who I was after.

Brian Goody, age twenty-seven. He was arrested up for public intoxication and public indecency. Apparently, he got drunk at his friend's wedding and did a strip tease on the head table. His friend wasn't impressed and called the cops. His picture didn't look too dangerous and it was a non-violent crime.

"How much do I get paid if I bring him in?" Connie smiled. She knew I was going to take it.

"You get ten percent of the bond. His bond was ten-thousand dollars, so you would get one thousand." I about swallowed my tongue. One thousand dollars just for one guy. That would pay rent and buy me some new clothes.

"Shit. I'm on this. How long do I have?" Connie smiled and pointed to a date in the file.

"That's when the bond gets forfeited, so you need to capture him before then. You might get lucky and bring him in today." She was hopeful, but I doubted it would happen like that. Again, I'm not that lucky.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot." Connie smiled again and yelled for Vinnie to come out. Shit, I didn't want to see him and hoped that I could get out before he noticed I was there.

"He has to sign the paperwork so you have permission to capture him. It's just a formality." It took Vinnie a few minutes to button and zip his pants, but he eventually opened his door and walked out.

"Why do you always have to yell? There is an intercom for a reason." He finally looked at me. "What the hell are you doing here?" I knew I always hated him.

"She's going to be the new BEA since Roly-Poly is out." Connie wasn't asking, she was telling. I thought that was interesting

"I don't think so. Frank will kill me if anything happens to her." Vinnie looked adamant but I wasn't going to be deterred.

"Dad is the one who sent me over here." True it was for a file clerk position, but he didn't have to know that. "Besides, if you don't let me do this then I'll have to call your wife and tell her about the duck." Vinnie's face turned pale. He wasn't scared of his wife, just his father-in-law.

"You wouldn't do that." I rolled my eyes at his stupidity. I would if it meant not living at my parent's house.

"Damn straight I would. I need this Vinnie. Sign the forms and let me get to work." I gave him my best 'Burg glare and I guess it worked because he quickly scribbled something on a form and passed it to Connie.

"Fine! She's the new BEA. But if she gets hurt, it's not my fault." He turned on his heel and went back to his private office and slammed the door.

"Is he always that pleasant?" I asked Connie sarcastically.

"Sometimes he's worse. When the farm animal noises start to get too loud, I leave the office. That's too much for me." We both laughed about that and I realized that I could really get used to working like that.

"Well, wish me luck. I'm off to catch a bad guy." I turned to head out the door.

"Good luck, Steph. I know you'll be great." Connie yelled to me as I exited the office.

Sitting in my piece of shit car, I read the file again. I honestly had no idea where to start looking for the guy so, I decided the best place to start was at his house. Makes sense, right?

Letting out a sigh, I started my car and pulled out of the lot into traffic. I pointed my car in the direction of Brian's house and had to chuckle at myself. There I was, Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter. I knew driving across Trenton that my new job was going to be interesting.

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A/N - I know you're wondering where the hell I'm going, but trust me. It might start slow, but it will build. Have to lay some ground work. Please let me know what you think. I live for your reviews. And remember...this is an alternate universe so Joe doesn't play a big part in this story at all. :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer****: **Characters you recognize do not belong to me.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and the fav/follows. I've tried to respond to each one, but if I missed you by some chance, I apologize.

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**Chapter 2**

When I pulled up to my skip's house, I noticed two things about my surroundings. One, there was a large group of kids hanging out on the corner down from where I parked. They kept their eyes on me, but never approached my car so I didn't worry about them too much. They only looked to be between the ages of twelve and fifteen so how much trouble could they be?

The other thing that I noticed was there was a pile of trash sitting on the curb that smelled like something died in it. I was still tucked safely inside my vehicle and could still smell the stench radiating off the bags. Maybe I could introduce the skip to odor shield garbage bags. I was sure his neighbors would thank me.

I sat staring at the nondescript house for what seemed like an hour. In reality, it was only a few minutes but it seemed like much longer. I knew I had to get out to apprehend the man, but I just couldn't make my body obey those commands. Sighing, I decided that it was now or never and flung my door open only to be greeted by a wall of putrid smell. Plugging my nose, I climbed out and turned toward the house. Standing there, with my nose still pinched, I realized that I was at a loss. I had no clue how to even begin to bring this guy back to the police department. I remembered an episode of Dog where they tazed the guy, but I don't have one of those and there's no way I could wrestle the skip to the ground like they do. I hoped that the man was bored that day and wanted to go back to jail. That was probably the only way I'd get him.

The group of kids watched me walk up the steps to the front door and knock. They still hadn't approached me or my car, so I decided to forget about them and focus on the skip. I didn't need to be worried about a group of children. I had a thousand bucks riding on this job.

When my first knock went ignored, I knocked again a little louder. I heard swearing behind the door and from the sounds coming from inside the house, someone tripped over a table. The door was wrenched open and there standing in front of me was a thousand dollars...I mean my target err, my skip.

"Mr. Goody? My name is Stephanie Plum and I'm here on behalf of your bond company. You missed your court date and I need to take you to the police station." I smiled at him my full smile and batted my lashes a little. I was always told that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Yeah, whoever said that is a liar!

Brian Goody took one look at me and started laughing. He was holding his stomach and doubled over, laughing like he'd just heard the funniest joke. Finally he sputtered out between guffaws, "You want to take me where?"

With my best 'Burg attitude voice, I repeated my previous statement. "To the police station. You're technically a criminal again since you missed your court date, so if you would just come with me I will..." So much for being nice. Still laughing, Brian grabbed me by both arms and shoved me away from his door before slamming it shut. I stumbled back and fell...right into the pile of garbage.

I was pissed. Whatever rotten things that were hiding in the bag, were now all over me and I smelled horrible. I almost puked, but held it back as I stumbled to stand up. I slipped a few times, but eventually found my footing and marched back to the door. Not wanting to hurt my hand, I used my foot to kick the door four times. I heard Brian Goody still laughing and got even madder. "I will be taking you back into custody, Mr. Goody. You can count on that." He didn't bother with opening the door so I turned and stalked back to my car mumbling about asshole men and their smelly garbage.

As I neared my car, I noticed something different about it and groaned when I saw what had happened. With my attention on Brian Goody, I didn't see the kids from the corner approach my car with spray paint cans nor did I see them do an expert job on the graffiti art they so graciously bestowed up on my already sad vehicle. As mad as I was, I had to give them credit for something. They choose the perfect colors to decorate my car. The bright pink "Pussy" stood out nicely against the pee-yellow. I glared at the kids who were all laughing on the corner and got into my car and drove away. There was no use confronting them about it.

Driving out of Brian's neighborhood I decided that maybe it was time to reconsider the whole Bounty Hunter job. I obviously wasn't cut out to do this type of work and would probably only get myself hurt, so I decided to quit. But first, I had to make good on my promise. I had to bring in Brian Goody. I just needed to come up with a good plan and maybe get some help. I decided Connie might be a good person to talk to about it. From the looks of it, she'd been in the business a long time and might have some ideas on how to help me. I just needed to shower before I went there. If I showed up in public looking and smelling like I did, my mother would disown me.

I drove to my apartment and actually got all the way inside without being seen. I stood inside my doorway and stripped off everything that I had on. The suit got thrown away along with the bra and panties. The shoes I could save, thankfully, since they were one of my favorite pairs. After bagging up the smelly clothes, I took an extremely hot shower and shampooed my hair three times to get all the crap out of it. I thought I saw a maggot float down the drain and almost cried, but somehow I didn't. I kept scrubbing until every inch of my body burned from being rubbed too much. Then, I got out and smeared on some mango mandarin lotion from Bath and Body Works. It was my favorite scent.

Standing in front of my closet, I glared at my clothes like they'd all offended me. I didn't know what exactly I wanted to wear and I was getting upset. That morning I'd dressed for the job of an office clerk. Standing there after my shower, I needed to dress as a bounty hunter. Problem was, I had no idea what a bounty hunter actually wore. I'd seen the show, and there was no way in hell I was going to wear leather chaps and tight corsets.

Deciding on a simple outfit to finish out my day, I threw on a pair of skinny jeans that made my ass look great and a tight T-shirt that didn't quite meet the top of the jeans. It didn't scream sexy like some of the outfits I owned, but it would work in a pinch. I wasn't trying to impress anyone anyway. After I put on my tennis shoes and slapped my hair back into a pony tail, I felt more like a bounty hunter. I even looked more like one too.

While I was in my apartment, I ate half of the leftovers from dinner the night before. I dropped a few bites in Rex's cage and talked with him while I ate. I devoured one piece of the cake and debated on eating the other but decided to leave it for later thinking I might seriously need some happy later in the day.

Washing down my lunch with a glass of tap water, I turned to my furry friend. "Well Rex, wish me luck again." His beady little eyes met mine and he twitched his nose before running into his soup can. I took that to mean that I would need all the luck I could get. I had to agree with him.

Embarrassing as it was, I drove my pussy mobile to the bonds office and parked it out front. Connie's eyes were huge when she saw my car and she tried her damnedest not to laugh when I walked in and plopped on the couch. I saw the smile on her face but chose to ignore it. Connie's question came out along with her laugh. "Sooo...How did it go?" I tried to look upset, but started laughing along with her. It honestly was quite funny.

After I'd calmed down a little, I told Connie about my morning. "Well, I found my guy at home but instead of him coming with me to the cop shop, he decided to shove me into a pile of trash. I had to throw my clothes away and scrub myself raw to get rid of the smell."

"Did he paint your car as a parting gift, too?" She was still laughing and had to stop every two words to suck in a breath. I tried glaring at her to make her stop, but it had no effect on her. I guess the 'Burg glare doesn't work on 'Burg people.

I shook my head and explained the sad tale of my newest paint job. "No. That little ditty is from the group of kids that were hanging out on the corner down from the guy's house. They thought my car lacked personality I guess." She laughed out loud again. I gave her a few minutes to calm down before jumping on to the serious side of my visit. "I have no clue what I'm doing, Connie. I have no training and absolutely no idea what the hell I'm doing. Maybe this wasn't a good idea." She shook her head and held up a finger.

"What you need is a little guidance. I'll call in a favor." She picked up the phone and dialed a number. I listened to her half of the conversation with a curious look on my face.

"I need a favor and you owe me." She looked at me and rolled her eyes.

"Vinnie hired a new BEA and she needs some help. You got time to teach her a few things?"

"Yes, I said she. Got a problem with it?" She listened for a few second and then smiled at me as she gave me a thumbs up.

"I'll tell her to meet you there. Thanks, Ranger." Connie hung up and jotted an address down on a piece of paper and held it out for me to take. "Be there at four-thirty. Ranger agreed to give you some help." I grabbed the paper and recognized the address as a diner that I used to frequent often. I loved their pies.

Furrowing my brow, I looked at her. "Who the hell is Ranger?" I wanted to know exactly who I was meeting.

"He owns RangeMan, the company that does our big bonds. He's the best bounty hunter in the area and he's agreed to help you." Connie stated, matter of factly, and went back to filing her nails. I could use some help, so I just nodded and stared at the paper again.

"What does he look like, so I know who I'm looking for?" Connie's eyes glazed over and she smiled big as she fanned herself dramatically.

"He's probably the hottest guy you've ever seen. You'll know him when you see him. He's Cuban-American and wears all black. You can't miss him, really." I could tell Connie thought this Ranger fellow was God's gift to women, but I seriously doubted he could be that good-looking. She and I probably had different taste in men.

It was still too early to go to the diner and I had nowhere else to go except my parent's so I plopped back down on the couch and got comfortable. "I guess I've got some time to waste. I've already had lunch, so I'll hang out here if that's okay with you."

"Fine with me. Here's some other files we have open. Maybe one of them will be easier for you." I took the files from her and read through them. I knew two of the guys from high school.

"Dougie and Mooner are still around here? I thought they joined that cult in Idaho right after graduation." Walter 'Mooner' Dunphy and Dougie Kruper were the biggest stoners in school, but always seemed harmless. They always offered me their brownies which I adamantly refused.

Connie giggled and then shook her head. "Yeah. Apparently the cult they joined broke apart because they couldn't negotiate peace talks between the two leaders. They both hitchhiked back into Trenton and are now the town pot heads. Dougie deals in stolen merchandise and can get you anything you'd ever want. They get arrested all the time. They probably just forgot their court dates like normal, so they should be an easy pick-up." Connie looked at me and smirked. "Dougie always had a crush on you in high school. I bet he'd follow you anywhere you asked him to go." She laughed when I rolled my eyes at her. That was exactly what I didn't need to happen. The whole town thinking I was dating the local pot head. My mother just might have a heart attack if she caught wind of that.

I glanced at the clock and decided that I didn't have time to pick up the two wayward boys and make it to the diner on time, so I held their file for later. I wasn't sure how long the process lasted, but I was thinking an hour wasn't quite long enough. I talked with Connie for that hour instead of doing anything meaningful. She filled me in on all the latest gossip, so I can call that information gathering, right?

I waited until the last possible minute and then stood up off the couch and grabbed all my files. Sighing, I threw my purse over my shoulder and said, "I'm off to meet my destiny." I didn't know it then, but would soon found out how true that statement was. Connie laughed and waved as I walked out the door.

Driving the pussy mobile was embarrassing as I drove through town. It wasn't the quietest car on the road, so everyone had to see exactly what was making that gosh awful racket. The looks I got from people had me sinking in my seat, but I didn't have any other options for transportation. I didn't have another car and I refused to walk. Walking would be too much like exercise and I steered clear of exercise.

Pulling into the diner's parking lot I was thankful that it was mostly empty. There were a few cars parked in the lot, but I didn't pay much attention to them. Luckily there was a spot right up front which I took and turned off my car, praying it didn't backfire. After it sputtered and died, I sighed and looked into the restaurant. I didn't see very many people inside so I hoped the guy was easy to spot. I wasn't sure how many Cuban-Americans lived in Trenton, but I doubted it was just one.

Sitting in my car, I gave myself a mini pep talk before climbing out and adjusting my clothes. They were sticking to me in not so pleasant places because of the heat and the lack of A/C in the car. Deciding that I wasn't going to look any better, I grabbed my stuff and walked in to the restaurant. The blast of cold air that met me when I opened the door was a welcomed surprise that made my nipples strain against the tight T-shirt. Great! Just the first impression I wanted to make to a complete stranger volunteering to help me with my job.

I glanced around the diner quickly, but didn't see anyone who fit Connie's description of Ranger. The old man sitting at the bar was wearing a black shirt, but I didn't think he was the best bounty hunter in the area. He was way past obese and was probably over seventy. The couple at the table by the window was obviously not who I was looking for. That left the occupant at the back booth, but he wasn't wearing black.

He looked Latin American, but I thought his skin tone was too light to be Cuban. He was, however, very yummy looking. He looked to be about 6 foot with light brown hair that had blond streaks through it. It was styled perfectly to look messy and downright sexy. His green eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked around the diner. His full lips sat in a half-smile and once his gorgeous eyes met mine, I was hooked.

I silently said a prayer he was the guy I was supposed to meet. For some reason, I wanted to get to know him. I just knew that I could talk to him forever and never run out of things to say. His jeans shorts were baggy and his white T-shirt was pulled tight across the muscles in his chest and arms. I had to check myself for drool before making a move towards him. I slowly walked to where he was sitting and watched as he sat up taller when I reached the edge of his table.

My voice was shaky when I asked, "Are you Ranger?" The man smiled at me and let out a little chuckle. I thought he was gorgeous before, but that was before I saw him smile. My panties were toast and I'd only seen one smile.

"No. Bossman couldn't make it, so he sent me. I'm Lester Santos." He offered his hand which I shook politely.

"Stephanie Plum. It's nice to meet you." I sat down across from him and let out a sigh.

"Pleasure's all mine, Beautiful. So, I hear you want to be a bounty hunter?" His eyes sparkled, but he wasn't laughing at me which was a good change.

I snorted a very unladylike snort. "I'm willing to give it a shot, but I found out this morning that I have no clue how to even start doing this job." That was the understatement of the century.

"That's why I'm here. I'm supposed to give you any assistance that you need." He wiggled his eye brows at me and I knew what assistance I wanted him to give me. I hadn't had a social orgasm in three years, so he could assist me a whole lot. Lester looked at me shocked and then busted up laughing. Shit, shit, shit! My mouth always liked to say things that I was thinking. Talk about being mortified.

"Don't be embarrassed. I find it hard to believe that you don't have a string of guys offering their skilled assistance in that department, but let's get you focused on the bounty hunting." I blushed at his compliment. Truth was, though, there wasn't a string of guys. There wasn't even one guy. Just me and Rex and my shower massager.

"Tell me why you want to be a bounty hunter first, Beautiful." He was looking at me intently and I almost combusted under the scrutiny of those gorgeous green eyes. I wondered why he kept calling me Beautiful? I liked it, but it was pretty distracting. Every time he said it I just wanted to giggle like a school girl with her first crush.

Putting back on my adult underwear, I motioned out the front door. "Well, first, do you see the car parked out front?" He glanced out the window and scanned the parking lot. I knew it registered which one was mine when he winced and looked back at me.

"The pussy-mobile is yours?" I nodded and sighed. "That's a pretty pro paint job. Did you pay extra for it?" I rolled my eyes and sent him a glare. Sexy man thought it was funny, but he didn't have to drive it.

"Unfortunately, yes it's mine. I need a new car and I have no other job prospects. Turns out buying and selling lingerie for a department store isn't a very marketable skill." His eyes darkened at the word lingerie. Most men's did, but seeing his turn dark made me warm in a certain place that had been neglected for far too long.

His voice turned from playful to serious. "How long have you been out of work?" I guess I wasn't hiding my desperation very well.

"Six months. I'm one month away from living with my parents again." I sighed and dropped my head in embarrassment. How did I let my life get so bad? I was pathetic.

"Have no fear, Beautiful. I'll have you picking up the bad guys like a pro in no time." He sounded so sure of himself, but I didn't hold that same assurance. I knew myself and knew how often I screwed up the simplest things.

"Ranger may be the best, but I taught him so I just call me Maestro." His eyes sparkled as he spoke which made me warm again. I'd taken Spanish in high school, but like every other subject I'd forgotten most of it.

"You'll have to translate that last word. The only Spanish I know is from the Taco Bell menu and Sublime songs." Lester laughed out loud and the sound made my heart beat faster. He was gorgeous in his own right, but when he laughed like that...he was sexy as hell.

"You're priceless, Beautiful. We're going to get along great." His eyes twinkled as he tried to calm himself. "Maestro means master or teacher. You're going to be one hell of a student. Maybe you'll get detention and have to serve some time after class is over." Oh my God. That man could flirt. I could picture me in a naughty school girl uniform bent over his desk and from the look in his eyes, he could picture it too. God, did the air conditioner break or something?

"I'm sure you can dish out some harsh punishment. I might have to be bad on purpose." My mouth was talking again without me thinking. I couldn't believe I just said that. I couldn't believe that I was really flirting with him. I watched him swallow and his eyes turn darker and knew I needed to reroute the conversation. "But first...you have to turn me into a pro bounty hunter. I need new wheels and some food for me and Rex." Lester shook his head and let out a sigh. Leaning back in the booth, I watched him take some deep breaths and saw his eyes begin to change back into the gorgeous green.

"I'll get you there, Beautiful." Lester looked at me with an odd expression. I couldn't tell if it was worry or jealousy. "Who's Rex?"

I smiled and pulled out my phone to show him a picture of my roommate. "Rex is my hamster. It's just been us for years, so he's more like my best friend too." Lester looked at the picture and smiled, shaking his head.

"I'll have to meet him sometime. Now, are you ready to get down to business?" Hmmm...for him to meet Rex, he would have to come to my apartment. My bed was there. My big empty, lonely bed. He could make it less empty. He could make it...oh yeah, business.

Smiling my full, radiant smile, I nodded my head. "Let's do it, Maestro." We laughed together and got to work.

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A/N - Leave a few minutes to let me know what you think so far. Your words are the only payment I get and they mean the world to me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

Thank you all for the reviews! I tried to respond to all of them, but I think I might have missed a few. I apologize if yours was one of them. They truly mean the world to me and bring a smile to my face.

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**Chapter 3**

**Lester's POV**

I was pissed! Of all the days for Ranger to pull his 'I'm the boss so do what I say' bullshit, he picked my one day off. It was my first day off in over three weeks and he called me with a fucking special assignment! I wanted to tell him to take his special assignment and shove it up his ass, but I didn't. Like a good employee, I agreed, but, to say I was pissed about having to do it was the understatement of the fucking century.

I got a little detail from Ranger and wasn't too thrilled about my new assignment. Apparently the chick at the bonds office, Connie, called in a favor and asked him to help train their new BEA. Ranger was the best bounty hunter around, but that was only because I taught him everything I knew. I didn't do bond enforcement for the company anymore because supposedly I was better at charming the clients. My specialty, and department to run in RangeMan, was client relations. I loved bounty hunting and missed it sometimes, but oh well. I did what I was told to do from the Bossman. That was exactly why I was sitting in that damn diner on my day off.

Before leaving the office, I didn't bother putting on the standard black uniform. It was my day off, so Ranger could get over it. He originally agreed to do the stupid meeting, but got called to Washington to meet with the Feds. He was trying to get RangeMan a contract with the government for some special jobs, so it wasn't like he could tell them no. I accepted that he couldn't make the meeting himself, but what I couldn't accept was why he didn't call Tank or Bobby to take his place to meet the new BEA. They were part of the core team too, and they were actually already working today.

I knew I was acting like a spoiled child, but seriously...I had plans that day! I was going to go to the beach and find a gorgeous honey to make me happy all night long. There was nothing better than going to the Jersey Shore during a summer afternoon. The girls there didn't believe anything was indecent and often did just about anything to get the attention of a good-looking guy. Sitting at that stupid table thinking about what I was missing at the shore had me hard. I was happy the table hid it though.

Waiting was never my forte. I hated sitting around doing nothing, but that was exactly what I did. I half-way noticed the piss colored Pinto pull up and park, but my attention was focused on the semi-attractive waitress bustling around the dining room. She might do for a roll in the hay if I couldn't get to the beach. I hoped the meeting ended quickly so I could get on with my plans. I didn't have time to teach a new BEA how to do his job. I hoped he at least knew a little about the process. I really didn't want to have to explain EVERYTHING to the new guy.

My attention was pulled from the smiling waitress the second the door opened. I noticed the gorgeous woman immediately as she walked into the diner. DAMN she was fine. Tight jeans covered her insanely long legs. Her boobs were on the small side for my taste, but I could manage with them. Seeing her hard nipples straining against her tight T-shirt just about made me lose my load in my jeans, but I held back. She had a smoking hot body with not an ounce of fat on her. She had her hair pulled back into a messy pony tail, but from what I could see it was curly and my interest in the woman skyrocketed. I was always a sucker for a woman with curly hair.

I noticed her checking me out and I gave her a small smile hopping she'd make her way over to me. I decided that maybe a trip to the beach wasn't necessary after all. I could get her and she'd be more than perfect to make me forget about my ruined plans.

Everything about her screamed sex and I wanted her bad, but it wasn't until her eyes met mine that I knew I had to have her. I would do anything I had to get that woman in my bed. I'd seen girls with blue eyes before and they were usually not my favorite color, but her eyes were fucking beautiful. Crystal blue, so pure and full of life. She approached the table and I was trying to figure out an excuse to tell Ranger about why I missed meeting the new BEA. There was no way I was going to let that beauty get away from me. I sat up taller when she stopped by the table and knew I was almost in, when she said the damnedest thing.

"Are you Ranger?" Suddenly it hit me. She was the BEA I was supposed to train! She was just a wisp of a woman. I chuckled, not believing my luck. The guys at the office sure as hell weren't going to believe it.

"No, the bossman couldn't make it, so he sent me. I'm Lester Santos." But you can call me Big Daddy. I offered her my hand which she shook. Her skin was so soft and begged for my tongue to trace all over her porcelain flesh.

"Stephanie Plum. It's nice to meet you." She even had a sexy name, not that I'd ever called her by her real name. She was beautiful and that's what I decided to call her.

"Pleasure's all mine, Beautiful. So I hear you want to become a bounty hunter?" I saw her reaction to the name, but she didn't challenge it. I was honestly curious what made her decide to do a job like this. She could be a model.

"I'm willing to give it a shot, but I found out this morning that I have no clue how to even start doing this job." Most people didn't know anything about it. That was nothing to really be ashamed about although I could sense that she felt that way. I wanted to help her.

"That's why I'm here. I'm supposed to give you any assistance that you need." I was a player so I had to flirt. It's who I was. I wiggled my eyebrows at her so she would get the hint.

"I haven't had a social orgasm in three years so he could assist me a whole lot." Three years? No fucking way! I was shocked. I was positive that she didn't mean to say her thoughts out loud, but damn it was funny and I had to laugh, but I felt bad when she looked embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed. I find it hard to believe that you don't have a string of guys offering their skilled assistance in that department, but let's get you focused on the bounty hunting." She blushed at my compliment. Just when I thought she couldn't get any sexier, she blushes. Most women who looked that good were shallow and vapid, but not Stephanie. She blushed at my compliments.

"Tell me why you want to be a bounty hunter first, Beautiful." I had to know what motivated her to try the job path. It could and would be very dangerous and I didn't want her to get in over her head.

"Well, first; do you see the car parked out front?" I leaned over and scanned the parking lot. My eyes fell to the piss colored pinto. I could now see 'pussy' spray painted on the side of the car and had to laugh.

"The pussy-mobile yours? That's a pretty pro paint job. Did you pay extra for it?" She looked sexy as hell when she rolled her eyes but I saw the small smile on her lips so I knew I was humoring her.

"Unfortunately, yes it's mine. I need a new car and I have no other job prospects. Turns out buying and selling lingerie for a department store isn't a very marketable skill." Holy hell! My cock twitched with excitement at the word lingerie. I bet she has some amazing pieces. Maybe I could get her to model them for me.

"How long have you been out of work?" I could read most people pretty well and she was screaming desperation. The car was enough of a sign, but her face told me that she needed the job.

"Six months. I'm one month away from living with my parents." Her head dropped and I knew she was feeling way too low. She looked so damn defeated and it broke my heart.

"Have no fear, Beautiful. I'll have you picking up the bad guys like a pro in no time." I was a cocky guy. When I said I could do something, I could. There was no room for doubt.

"Ranger may be the best, but I taught him so just call me Maestro." I'm sure Connie told her about Ranger, so I wanted to reassure her that she was in good hands. I picked up her confusion at the language change. Spanish was my native language, so it was hard to pull out of it sometimes.

"You'll have to translate that. The only Spanish I know is from the Taco Bell menu and Sublime songs." Beautiful, sexy, funny as hell, AND listens to one of my favorite bands. I was in love. Okay, in lust...but damn. She had it all.

"You're priceless, Beautiful. We're going to get along great." I gave her a taste of my wolf grin as I continued talking. "Maestro means master or teacher. You're going to be one hell of a student. Maybe you'll get detention and have to serve some time after class is over." I couldn't help myself. It wasn't every day you find a woman like her. She was everything that I wanted, so I had to flirt. I watched her eyes darken and knew she was thinking the same thing I was. Her in a school girl uniform bent over my desk. Oh yeah. Little Lester was very interested in that scenario.

"I'm sure you can dish out some harsh punishment. I might have to be bad on purpose." Fuck lust! I **was** in love. She could flirt right along with me AND she hinted that she liked it rough. My cock was straining against my zipper quite painfully. I was sure there would be marks left by the time the meeting was over.

"But first...you have to turn me into a pro bounty hunter. I need new wheels and some food for me and Rex." Who the hell was Rex? Boyfriend? Husband? Well shit, there went my hard-on. Although, I was quite thankful for the distraction from the pain in my pants.

"I'll get you there, Beautiful." I tried really hard to hide my curiosity, but I had to know if I was wasting my time. "Who's Rex?" She'd said she hadn't had an orgasm in three years so if he was a boyfriend or husband, he sucked.

Stephanie gave me a gorgeous smile and pulled out her phone. "Rex is my hamster. It's just been us for years so he's more like my best friend too." I looked at the picture of the furry rat and smiled, shaking my head.

"I'll have to meet him sometime." Thinking about meeting her hamster got me thinking about what else was in her house or wherever she lived. Her bed would be there too. A bed where we could...I had to shake those thoughts away to get down to the reason we were both there. "Now, are you ready to get down to business?"

"Let's do it, Maestro." Her voice was so full of hope and excitement that I had to laugh. She was just too damn cute.

"Tell me what you know about being a bounty hunter." I needed to know how much I had to teach her but the strangled laugh she gave me wasn't very reassuring.

"Absolutely nothing. I've seen the TV show, but I highly doubt that's how it's done. I tried to pick up my first guy this morning, but it didn't work out." That stupid TV show gave us real bounty hunters a bad name. It was nothing like how they portrayed it.

I was beyond impressed that she tried picking up a guy without really knowing what to do."What went wrong this morning?"

"I found the guy at home, but instead of coming with me to the police department he shoved me into a pile of trash." I was more than impressed again that she found her skip in a matter of minutes. The guys at the office usually spent a day doing research before even attempting locating the skip.

"Did you try to cuff him or did you have a weapon on you?" I prayed that she didn't go unarmed.

"Cuffs? Weapon? Nope. I went with my glowing personality and learned that it wasn't enough." Oh shit! I felt sorry for my poor Beautiful.

"It's a great personality, but sadly it won't be enough. You need some handcuffs and a gun. Maybe a stun gun and pepper spray. I don't want you to get hurt." I came to a decision that second. I was going to help her beyond what she imagined. "I have an idea. Let's go to the gun shop and get you fitted with a new gun and cuffs and then you and I can go pick up the guy together. I can see your technique and give you advice from there." Truthfully, I just wanted to spend more time with her. I'm a tough guy, but I would have sat through "The Notebook" five times if it meant I got to spend time with her.

"A gun, as in hand gun? I hate guns. They scare me." That didn't surprise me. Most people who don't know how to handle a gun were normally scared of them. She was in luck though, because I could teach her how to love her gun.

"It won't be easy, but I'll teach you. You'll need to carry a gun doing this job. There are some not so nice people out there." She looked like she was thinking about it for a second before nodding her head. "Great! Let's go." I stood up and threw some cash on the table for the drinks we had. She followed me out the door and started to walk to her car, but there was no way I was getting in that piece of shit.

"How about I drive, Beautiful. Let's give the pussy mobile a break." She rolled her eyes but followed me to my Mustang. Her eyes widened and glossed over when I opened the door for her. I usually drove a company SUV, but it was my day off and I had been planning on going to the beach. So, that called for my brand new Shelby Mustang GT 500 convertible. It was cherry red with a black top and black racing stripes. It was a sexy car and the girls loved it.

I heard her moan as she sank down into the soft leather seats. The sound made my cock twitch in excitement. I suddenly wondered what other sounds I could get her to make. I just knew she was a wild cat in bed and could imagine the noises coming from her.

The gun shop was just around the corner and the drive didn't take long. I parked in the front and helped her out of the car with a smile on my face. She was practically panting when I took her hand and pulled her out. If she was that turned on just from riding a few minutes at slow speeds then I knew I needed to take her on the highway so I could let the horses fly. I might get her to orgasm if I did that. I decided to try that later.

Luckily for us, the gun shop owner knew everyone that worked at RangeMan, so she was able to waive the waiting period for our employees. We'd tried several different sizes and models, but we finally found the gun that fit best in Stephanie's small hands. It was the Glock 27 and was compact enough to fit in her hands and easy to conceal, but it also packed enough of a punch to stop any attacker if she needed to. I've seen too many nine millimeter guns only piss off people and I wanted her more protected.

She wasn't lying when she told me she hated guns. She didn't know how to hold it and her unease was evident when she picked it up. She would need some work at the gun range, but at least she had a gun that was a start. I never told the owner that Beautiful wasn't an official RangeMan employee and since she never asked, we were able to walk out with Stephanie's new gun, cuffs and stun gun.

Once we were back in the car, I turned to face Stephanie and smiled. She was arranging her new gear in her purse and cussing under her breath.

"Okay Beautiful, where's the skip live?" She looked at me confused.

"Skip?" She really was green and only made me like her more.

"It's what we call the people who jump bail. Who's the guy we're going after?" Understanding dawned on her and she smiled as shook her head.

"Oh, hahaha. His address is 343 Hudson Street. He was home earlier today, so hopefully he's still there." She was too damn cute.

"Let's go get him then." I started the car and watched her shiver. Hudson street was across town. That meant the highway would be faster. I did an evil laugh in my head and revved the engine. If I had a cat beside me, I would be stroking it. Of course, I could always stroke something else.

Forgetting about stroking anything, I pulled the car out of lot and headed toward the highway. It was time to let the horses run and hopefully get my Beautiful a little release. "Hang on Beautiful. You're in for the ride of your life." She looked at me with wide eyes and smiled.

Once we were on the highway, I glanced around for cops and when I didn't see any I punched the accelerator down to the floor. I'd never seen someone be so reactive and expressive as Stephanie was. She closed her eyes, threw her head back and let out a deep, soulful moan. I was hard in a second.

I watched her out of the corner of my eye as I drove down the highway at top speeds. Her face was a gorgeous shade of pink and she was squirming in her seat trying to discretely rub her thighs together. I knew exactly what she was doing and I wondered if she needed help. I moved my right hand off the wheel and placed it on her upper thigh. Her eyes snapped open and her now dark blue eyes looked at me, but she didn't move my hand. What she did do shocked the shit out of me.

Her hand rested on top of mine and she slowly moved my hand to the juncture between her legs. I could feel the heat and wetness, even through her jeans. I slowly began rubbing her aching core. Her eyes closed again and her head rested back against the seat. I tried to get a good angle to give her what she wanted, but it just wasn't working, so I said fuck it and unsnapped her jeans. She didn't protest as I slid my hand down her pants. She spread her legs to grant me entrance and I found her soaking wet. Good Lord. I almost blew my load in my pants yet again!

I pushed her very ruined panties to the side and slid my finger around her swollen clit. It had been so neglected for far too long and was begging for any amount of attention. Being a gentlemen, I was happy to oblige it. It didn't take me long to build her orgasm up. She was moaning and whimpering, begging me to push her over. I slid one finger into her tight hole and then added another. She was so fucking wet and I was having a hard time concentrating on my driving. I pumped slowly inside of her and watched her face as best I could. She was so beautiful.

When I knew she was close I curved my fingers and pressed them down on the bundle of nerves inside her and used my thumb to press on her clit. To say she orgasmed would be a gross understatement. She shattered. I have never seen any woman cum so completely. Her face flushed the most sexy shade and her hand gripped mine as her inner walls clenched down on my fingers almost painfully. She screamed my name as she came and I have never been so turned on in my entire life. I didn't care that I was speeding down the highway, I wanted to yank her into my lap and bury my cock deep inside her.

I stroked her gently letting her come down from her release and watched as her breathing evened out. She finally got herself under control and then looked at me with wide eyes. "Fuck, Les. That was amazing, and all you did was touch me. I can't believe I let you do that. That's not who I am." She looked ashamed, but I didn't want her to feel bad about what happened.

"That was, indeed, amazing. I can see that you're beautiful all day every day, but when you let loose like that, you are fucking sexy as sin." My hand was still in her pants with my fingers still inside her. I wanted to replace them with my dick so bad.

"Thank you for saying that. I'm not sure what it is about you, but you make me want to lose control." She blushed again. Unbelievable! How she can go from letting me finger her on the highway to blushing in embarrassment?

"Feel free to lose control around me anytime, Beautiful." I pulled my hand out of her pants and had to lick my fingers clean. Most women find it a turn off, but not Stephanie. She watched me suck each and every finger and moaned again. She tasted so sweet. If it was the last thing I did, I was going to drink directly from her well.

"I think you missed our exit." She giggled when she looked around at our surroundings. I looked around and thought, Oh fuck! We didn't just miss our exit; we drove 30 miles out of our way.

Taking the next exit, I pulled off the highway and glanced at the clock. It was getting late in the evening and I was a little hungry. I thought maybe we could put off picking up her guy until tomorrow, which would give me a reason to see her again.

"What do you say we stop for some dinner and then we'll get your guy tomorrow? I can make Ranger give me a day or two to train you properly." Her stomach growled at the mention of food.

"That sounds good. I guess I am a little hungry." She looked at me with a wanton look and I caught her double entendre. She was hungry all right and after watching her earlier, I was fucking starved.

"What sounds good to eat? I know a quiet Italian restaurant that isn't too far away. That sound good to you?" I don't know what made me do it, but I picked her hand up and held in my own. I wanted to touch her more.

"Sounds perfect. Am I dressed okay?" She looked perfect. It wasn't a fancy place so casual was fine.

"You look beautiful." She smiled at me and I turned the car toward the restaurant. I couldn't wait to eat with her. I knew I was in for a good time.

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A/N - okay...maybe Stephanie was a little OOC, but honestly...if you were with Les in a sexy car, wouldn't you do the same?

**Public Service Announcement**...Please remember that while driving a vehicle, your attention should remain on the road in front of you and on your surroundings at all times. Distractions like sex, texting or even eating can cause serious accidents. I don't encourage or endorse the type of behavior that Les and Stephanie did...but it was sure fun to write. :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. Just playing with them for a bit.

Thank you all for the reviews! You're blowing me away with your kind words. I'm incredibly excited so many of you like this story. It was really fun to write.

I apologize for not adding in a smut warning on the last chapter. At the last minute, I typed one in, but my iPad didn't save it and I didn't realize it until it was too late for me to do anything about it. I'll warn you now to expect some hot smut from our couple.

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**Chapter 4**

**Stephanie POV**

Driving toward the restaurant gave me time to think about what had happened. That wasn't me. I'm not the girl who lets a random guy finger her after only knowing him a few hours. Although, I guess I did let Joe Morelli finger me when I was six, so maybe that was exactly who I am.

Morelli was the neighborhood bad boy. 'Burg parents tried to keep their daughters away from him, but many were unsuccessful. He was a horny mean bully who took whatever he wanted. When he was eight and I was six, he took me. Of course he used the guise of playing a game of train to lure me into his father's garage, so I guess he didn't TAKE me. I went willingly to play this new game and was disappointed when his finger got to be the locomotive while I was the tunnel. He went exploring full steam ahead.

I was drawn to Morelli like he was forbidden fruit, but managed to successfully avoid him and any further incidents until 10 years later. He thought I would make a good going away present before he left for the Navy, so he paid me a visit at my after school job before he left. He talked me out of my pants and walked away with my virginity. As if that wasn't bad enough, he wrote about it on bathroom walls all over town. I thanked him for the poems by breaking his leg with my car two years later when he was home on leave.

My ex-husband, the Dick, didn't even come close to making me feel the way Les did. He didn't make me crave him or desire him like I did Lester. Dickie never made my blood boil. He could never get my juices flowing that easily, if you know what I mean.

The closet candidate for creating those desires was Mark, my college boyfriend. We met our freshmen year and started dating soon after. He was probably the first guy that I fell in love with, but he broke my heart. We spent three years together and I thought everything was great. The sex was good, the relationship was stable but apparently he didn't like something. He dumped me the summer before my senior year and transferred schools. No reasons, no explanations, just bam, he was gone.

Mark could light me on fire with one touch and our experiences in bed were second to none. He was what I compared each and every man to when I let myself get close enough. Sadly no man had ever compared to him, not until Lester.

There was something about Lester that drew me to him. He was gorgeous, of course, but there was something deeper that attracted me to him. Something that caused my blood to turn to fire when he touched me. Something that made me want to strip off his clothes and ride him like Slim Pickens rode the nuclear bomb in Dr. Strangelove.

"Beautiful?" I snapped my head around to look into his eyes. "Where were you? I've been talking to you for the past five minutes. We're at the restaurant." He reached his gorgeous hand out and tucked a wayward curl behind my ear. My blood instantly started to boil. "Are you ready to head in?"

I looked into his sparkling green eyes and thought, 'Only if you promise me that you'll put your head in later.' His face cracked into a huge smile and realized that I said that thought out loud. My brain to mouth filter got frazzled sometimes. I couldn't help it.

"I can guarantee that and more, Beautiful." My face was blood-red and burning up. Shit, way to embarrass myself. I quickly got out of the car and waited for him to compose himself from the hysterical laughter that my spoken thought caused.

He exited the car and escorted me into the restaurant with his warm hand placed comfortably at the small of my back. When Dickie used to guide me that way, it always felt possessive or controlling. With Lester, it felt comforting and very romantic. I wanted him to move it down a few inches, but not while we were in public.

The waitress led us to a secluded table at the back of the restaurant. Lester positioned himself with his back to the wall and I sat in the seat directly beside him. I usually made it a point to sit on the opposite side of the table as the person I was dining with. I always made fun of the couples who sat close together while they ate and yet here I was doing the same thing.

After the waitress took our drink orders, we both excused ourselves to the bathroom. I used the time to clean myself up a tad bit. I couldn't do a whole lot in a public bathroom, but I managed to straighten my clothes and hair a bit. I fixed my make-up and returned to our table. Our drinks were there, but not Lester. I was a bit surprised, but I waited patiently for him and looked over the menu. He returned a few minutes later and looked more relaxed. I wondered what he had done in that bathroom, but was never going to have the balls to ask.

"You know what you want to eat, Beautiful?" Besides you...no, I thought. I loved Italian food, so I was having a hard time deciding. Everything sounded so good. I shook my head in response to his question, but didn't look at him.

"Well, everything here is delicious. Just make sure you save room for dessert. The tiramisu here is to die for." Be still my heart. He was gorgeous AND he ate dessert. Of course thinking about desserts had me picturing eating tiramisu off of him. That would just make the whole experience heavenly.

"I always leave room for dessert. It's what I live for." I told him in a matter of fact tone making Les chuckle.

"Good to know." His green eyes were dancing with laughter that made me smile back at him.

The waitress came back and took our orders. I couldn't help but notice her checking out Lester and frankly, it pissed me off, even though I couldn't really blame her. He was quite yummy to look at, but DAMN...not when he's sitting with another woman.

If Les noticed the waitress checking him out, he didn't let on. Instead he turned his attention to me. "Tell me about yourself, Beautiful." And there it was, the reason why I didn't date, the small talk that was normally required was annoying as hell. However, I found myself wanting to talk to Les so I told him what I thought he wanted to hear.

"I grew up in the 'Burg, the youngest of two kids. My sister Valerie was and still is the golden child, I am the constant disappointment and embarrassment." His eyebrows furrowed at my comment, but I kept on trucking. "I graduated from college with a degree in business. Married an ass and found him banging the neighborhood skank on my dining room table, so that marriage didn't last long. I worked as a lingerie buyer for E.E. Martin until they got closed down by the Feds. Now I work as a bounty hunter...but you already knew that." I took a breath and looked at his smiling face.

"That's all good to know, but that was a speed date answer to the question. I want to know more. What was your dream growing up?" I was kind of shocked at him. I tried speed dating once, my friend Mary Lou made me go one night after my divorce and I hated it. The guys were all so shallow and never wanted to know anything other than if there was a chance for them to get laid. I guess my answer to his original question was pretty basic, but that was what most guys wanted to hear. Les was the first guy in a long time to care about the real answers. The answers that really mattered.

"Well, I guess my dream has always been to fly. I hate feeling tied down or confined. I need freedom to do what I want and I hate being told what to do. When I was seven, I convinced myself that I was Wonder Woman and that I could fly. So to prove it to my stupid sister, who didn't believe me, I jumped off the garage roof. For a split second I flew, and then gravity had to ruin it. I broke my arm and my mom grounded me." Les was chuckling quietly. He found my dream funny, so I decided to turn the tables on him. "What about you, Chuckles? What was your dream as a little boy?"

"I never really had a dream growing up. My parents died when I was nine and I went to live with my aunt and uncle. Ranger is actually my cousin. His parents raised me after mine died. He's a few months younger than me, but I've always looked to him like an older brother. I followed him everywhere and did everything that he did. When he joined a gang, I followed. When he joined the Army, I followed him. When he started RangeMan, of course I followed him. I guess my dream was to become as big as he is." I grasped his hand and squeezed it in support. No man had EVER opened up like that to me. I was expecting some surface answer, much like my original one was.

"I'm sorry you lost your parents, but I'm glad you have Ranger. He sounds like a really good person." He squeezed my hand back and nodded.

"He is a good guy. You'll have to meet him soon. I'm surprised you haven't seen him at the office. He's there almost every day." I remembered seeing the Adonis earlier that day and decided that must have been Ranger. If that was the case then good looks must run in their genes.

"I just started the job today. Maybe tomorrow I'll see him and introduce myself." Lester smiled big at me. He liked that idea I guess.

Our dinners came and we both ate in comfortable silence. Well, it was comfortable for me. It appeared my moans of appreciation to the food were making Lester a little uncomfortable. His pained face and subtle movements weren't lost on me. I knew what was going on in his head and in his pants.

"Beautiful, if you don't stop the moaning I'm going to have to go back to the bathroom to fix my not so little problem." I peaked under the tablecloth to see his problem. He wasn't lying when he said not so little. Yummmy!

"Sorry, I can't help it that I like food." I giggled and he shifted again. I did my best to control myself throughout the rest of the meal. I didn't want to damage him.

After we were both finished with our main dishes Les turned to me. "Would you like to eat dessert here..." His finger traced down my face and across my bottom lip. "...or get it to go?" I didn't even think about my response. I just let my first thought flow out of my mouth.

"To go, please." My voice was breathy and I almost didn't recognize it. Lester leaned over and placed his lips on mine. The kiss was romantic and full of desire, but it wasn't overly passionate. It was fucking hot though.

The waitress cleared her throat beside our table and Lester pulled away. "Two tiramisus to go and the check. ASAP." He didn't even look at her. His eyes stayed locked on mine. I could read the hunger and passion blazing in them. It turned me on more than I was willing to admit.

The waitress returned with a sack and the check. Lester glanced at it and threw a few bills on the table and stood up. I stood up too and found myself pulled into Lester's hard body and gasped as he crushed his lips to mine. This kiss was different from the first and spoke volumes. I felt his desire and his need. Of course, his need was growing and pressing into my stomach so it was kind of hard not to feel it.

He pulled away right before my control snapped. I was one second away from throwing him down on the table and fucking him senseless but thankfully, I didn't do that. I didn't care about the other people in the restaurant, but I'm sure my mom would hear about it and make my life a living hell.

"We need to go." The rumble of his voice vibrated against my chest and made me moan. Once he heard the moan, he turned and pulled me toward the door. I guess that was his control snapping.

He assisted me into the car and quickly ran around to the driver's side. I watched him adjust his not so little problem before getting in the car. He pulled out his cell phone and hit a speed dial before starting the car. I didn't understand the conversation, but I wasn't really paying attention either. My focus was on the man beside me.

"Yo, it's Santos. Turn off the video feed to safe house three for the rest of the night. They are not to be turned on for any reason. Got it?" He waited for a response and hung up. He floored the accelerator out of the lot and headed further out of town.

"Where are we going? My apartment is the other direction." I asked in a sugary sweet voice as I rubbed his upper thigh. I watched his hands grip the steering wheel tight. His knuckles were white and my inner sex goddess came out to play so I continued to stroke his thigh adding a little more pressure with each pass of my hand.

His voice was strangled when he next spoke. "RangeMan owns a safe house about three miles away from here. We're going there to enjoy our dessert together and to finish the...conversation from earlier." I smiled at him. I knew exactly what conversation he was talking about. Our mouths would be used, but there wouldn't be talking involved.

"Feeling pretty cocky, Big Boy?" I rubbed my hand over the bulge in his pants and squeezed lightly. He sucked in a breath and then cursed.

"You'll feel just how cocky I am in about two minutes." He pressed my hand harder onto his impressive erection. My insides were already burning. The moisture between my legs was soaking my panties and through my jeans.

I gently began stroking him through his pants as he sped through the country side. We pulled up to a large gate about seventy-five seconds later. He punched in some code and scanned his thumb. The gate opened and Lester sped through as soon as the space was wide enough. He parked quickly in front of an impressive house. Not that I gave a damn what the house looked like.

The second the car was in park, he unlatched my seatbelt and hauled me over the console into his lap. His lips were on mine and his hands were up my T-shirt before I even knew what was happening. Every inch of skin he touched burned and ached as his hands moved on.

Tearing my lips away, I said two words. "Inside now!" He opened his door and maneuvered us out, expertly. I wrapped my legs around his waist and licked down his ear. I heard a whispered curse word and Les stopped walking. He sat me down on the hood of the car and attacked my mouth with his.

"Fuck Beautiful, I can't even make it inside." I knew what he meant but I still wanted to play.

"You better make it inside me at least. I need you, NOW." I was desperate, panting with need. He growled and ripped off the T-shirt over my head. His mouth found my left nipple and sucked it through the lace of my bra. In an instant my bra was unsnapped and removed from my body, and I didn't even know his hand was back there.

His mouth found my nipple again and I arched my back into his mouth. His hand played and rubbed the other breast and nipple. I guessed he was an equal opportunity pleaser and I loved every second of it. I couldn't hold back the moan that passed my lips.

"God Beautiful, I'm going to blow it in my pants if you don't stop." His voice was so strangled that I had to giggle.

"That would be a huge waste." He growled and attacked my right nipple now with his hot mouth. God he was good with his mouth. It gave me hope for what was to come.

I fumbled with his T-shirt and finally got it pulled it off his body. I knew he was built, but seeing and touching the smooth skin over the bulging muscles was something entirely different. I ran my hands over his chest and arms. I felt every muscle twitch when my hands ran over them. I let one hand move up to tangle in his hair and the other trailed down to his abs which were in one word...AMAZING.

Dickie had an okay body, Joe was nice looking, and Mark was well built, but Lester was something entirely different. He was sex walking AND his body was that of a Greek god. Perfect!

Lester gently laid me back onto the car's hood and moved his lips lower to my abdomen. His fingers were unbuckling my pants as his tongue trailed around my navel. I felt my jeans start to descend down my legs and soon they were gone. I was laying on the hood of a sexy car wearing nothing but my little thong. I felt sexy as hell.

He stepped back and looked at me with dark eyes. "God Beautiful, you are every man's wet dream right now." I moaned and started to sit up so I could touch him some more. My need was getting unbearable. Lester gently pushed me back down and squatted between my spread legs.

He kissed the inside of both of my thighs and then kissed my panty clad mound. I knew my panties were beyond ruined and I honestly didn't care. I wanted him to suck me and fuck me.

"Please Lester." I moaned from my place on the hood of the car.

"What do you want, Beautiful? Tell me what you want." Lester kissed my drenched panties again and all I could do was gasp and moan.

"Is that what you want? You want me to kiss you?" I nodded my head and made a yes sound. He kissed again, but just gently and never where I needed him most. I growled and I heard him chuckle again. Funny man was asking for it. Paybacks are a bitch.

"You don't sound like you are enjoying this, Beautiful. Do you need something else?" He kept lightly kissing around my lower lips.

"You know what the fuck I want. Damn it. Give it to me please. I need your tongue on me and in me...NOW." I was beyond desperate. I wanted him. Needed him. I heard him growl and then felt my panties torn from my body.

He spread my lips and attacked me like he was starving. Maybe he was. His mouth closed over my swollen clit and his finger made its way into my aching center. Finally, he gave me what I needed.

"You are so wet and taste so fucking good. Dios." I couldn't respond even if he wanted me to.

As his finger stroked my insides, his tongue was working me into a frantic mess. God I just wanted to cum. When Les added another finger to his internal torture it felt just like heaven. I was so damn close and I just wanted to jump over the cliff.

"Let go, Beautiful, fly!" He curled his fingers inside of me and hit that spot as he bit down on my clit. I flew and I screamed his name as I fell apart on the hood of his car. He continued to stroke me gently, drawing out my orgasm making me whimper and moan more.

When I finally got myself calmed and my muscles stopped their spasms, I looked to the man who was still crouched between my legs. His smile was sexy as hell and the desire was written all over his face.

I sat up slowly and watched as he stood up from his crouched position. It was my turn for a little fun. I slid off the car and realized that my feet were bare. I guess my shoes disappeared sometime before my pants. The gravel was rough on my bare feet, but not too painful so I squatted down in front of the god before me.

The bulge in his pants was huge and I knew it was probably pretty painful for him. With my eyes firmly attached to his, I slowly unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down. I didn't have to worry about underwear because he was commando. That knowledge sent a fresh gush of moisture between my legs.

I heard his sharp intake of breath as I gently stuck my tongue out to lick off the bead of moisture gathered on the tip of his cock. I moaned when I tasted him. Besides Mark, no other man has had the privilege of my mouth. Dickie always made me feel cheap when he asked for it, and no one else even got close. It scared me that I was so willing to do this with Lester, but I wanted to taste all of him.

I locked my eyes on his again and slowly took his very impressive cock into my mouth. There was no way to fit it all, but I did what I could. His eyes closed when I began to suck him. I heard whispered Spanish but didn't understand any of it.

"What's that, Lester? I don't understand Spanish. You have to tell me what you want in English." I smiled up at him. I warned him that paybacks are a bitch.

"I said, God woman! That feels so fucking good. I want to fuck your mouth so bad." I took him into my mouth again and relaxed my throat so I could take more of him. His hand went to my head and I heard him groan. His groan made me moan and I guess the vibrations from my mouth caused him to cuss loudly.

Hearing his cursing made me laugh and I wanted to hear him scream in release so I upped the pressure and speed of my assault. I could tell he was getting close, but I decided to add a little torture to my play time. Right before he came, I stopped everything. I removed his cock from my mouth and moved away from him a bit. His eyes snapped open and glared at me. I was smiling up at him.

"What's the matter? Did you not want me to stop?" I asked innocently. He smiled at me. He knew I was joking with him.

"Please Beautiful. Please suck me dry." Oh fuck. I didn't know what about him saying that turned me on, but it did and I attacked him with desperation. I wanted to taste him, hear him and feel him as he came in my mouth.

I brought him to the edge again and then increased the pressure more. My hand trailed down his muscled thigh and found his balls. They were tight, but I still rubbed them, gently. My mouth and hand worked in synch and before too long, I heard him yell my name as he released his hot seed into my mouth. I sucked him until there was nothing left and then I cleaned up the mess that I left on him. He tasted amazing and I found myself searching for more.

"Good Lord, woman. That was...beyond anything I've ever experienced. DAMN!" I giggled as I stood in front of him. I gently kissed his cheek. I honestly didn't think he would kiss me after what I'd just done, but apparently he didn't care. He took my mouth with his in a gentle kiss. His tongue sweetly stroked mine and I could taste myself on him. Our combined tastes lit the fire in me again.

Lester recognized the look of need in my eyes and pulled away. "Let's get our stuff and go inside. I want to do this the right way and there is a perfectly good bed upstairs." I blushed remembering that we were still outside and I was completely naked.

"Don't be embarrassed Beautiful. No one can see us and that was fucking amazing." He pushed some loose hair away from my face and kissed my lips gently.

He handed me my jeans and ripped T-shirt. He felt guilty and pulled his shirt over my head. It was big enough to cover everything that I didn't bother putting my jeans back on. Lester pulled up his pants and grabbed my shoes and other articles of clothing off the gravel driveway. He led me to the front door and opened it with a code.

I didn't know exactly what was going to happen once we were inside, but judging by what I experienced out there on his car, I knew it was going to be good.

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A/N - There ya have it! The hotness continues and we learned a little about our favorite characters. Their lives will continue to unfold as this story does. Thanks for reading and thanks to those to review.

**PSA #2 - **While frolicking outside can be fun at times, you should always make sure you are completely shielded from unwanted eyes. Our couple wasn't caught, but you never know who's hiding in the woods, watching...with a camera. It hasn't happened to me personally, but it has to someone I know and she was very upset when she saw her and her husband on the internet. :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

Thank you for all the reviews and fav/follows. You all sure know how to make this lady feel special. If I didn't respond to your review or if you reviewed as a guest...know that your words mean the world to me. You all are the reason I keep typing away.

Another huge thank you to my beta, Potterwench. Without her, you all would be reading garbage!

There's a smutlet warning towards the end of this chapter. Not our couples normal inferno, but still not safe for young eyes. =)

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**Chapter 5**

**LPOV**

There comes a time in everyone's life when they realize that they're in deep. What they're actually deep IN is unique to the person or situation. Some people find themselves in deep shit, others often find themselves deep in thought. I was in a whole other kind of deep, and it was something that I'd never experienced before. Looking at Stephanie standing in front of me, only wearing my T-shirt, I knew I was in deep and I'm not talking thought or shit. That woman had wrapped herself around my heart quicker than I knew what was happening.

Up until that point in my life, I'd only had one love, and that love was my car. I spent way too much money on it for me not to love it. It was my baby. I treated it better than I did most women. Call me shallow or whatever, but I spent hours every weekend polishing and waxing her. I didn't let anyone but me drive her and not many people got to even touch her. Stephanie was the first woman I ever allowed to touch the car let alone sit her sexy as hell naked ass on it. I couldn't believe she let me do that to her outside.

I wasn't lying when I told her that she was every man's wet dream. She had the innocent look down pat, but underneath was a sex goddess just waiting to emerge. Stephanie was the typical girl next door combined with a Playboy bunny. She was amazing and I knew after that night that I was going to make her mine.

You can forget what you've heard about me. Typical player, love em and leave em, only looking for a night of hot sex, no strings, no commitment, no hassles, blah blah blah. All of that was true until I met Stephanie. That's who I was, but that didn't mean that I wanted to be that way forever. I didn't tell Stephanie my real dream during dinner because I was too embarrassed but it was something that I've always wanted.

Before my parents died, we were a typical happy family. I was the only child, so I had a whole lot of love coming my way. Both my parents spoiled me rotten and I loved them. They were perfect. My parents were so much in love that it used to make me sick. They were always kissing and touching and whispering in each other's ears. To an eight year old, that was just gross, but I always used to watch them. Something about how they acted together drew me to them. You could see the love that they had for each other. You could tell that one without the other would be incomplete. My dream was to find that type of love someday.

My favorite memory of them was from a night three months before they died. It was their twelve-year anniversary and they couldn't find a sitter for me, so they stayed in instead of going out. They sent me to bed early, but I snuck down to watch them as they ate their dinner by candlelight. Their conversation was held in whispers and their looks were full of love, but the thing that struck me was the fact that nothing else around them mattered. The phone rang twice, but neither even acknowledged that fact. They were so consumed with each other that the rest of the world disappeared.

After they finished eating, I watched as my father slowly stood and took my mom into his arms and danced with her. They were in the middle of the kitchen, no music playing, swaying in each other's arms. I realized, after watching them for a while, that my dad was quietly singing to my mom. I couldn't hear the words, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that she heard them and judging by the look on her face, she loved hearing every single word.

Even years later, I can still see the smiles on their faces as they danced. That's probably because that was one of the last times I saw them together like that. Exactly three months after that night, my father got shot in the chest protecting my mom from a mugger. He died in her arms and she died right after. Official reports say it was a heart attack from the stress, but I know that she died from a broken heart. She couldn't live without him; she didn't even want to try.

Thinking about them used to make me mad. I was so angry at them for leaving me here. Even though I loved living with Ranger and his parents, it still wasn't my home. They treated me like their own, but they weren't my parents. I missed them daily, but I was thankful for the example that they gave me. They showed me exactly what a healthy, loving relationship looked like. I always wanted that, but had never found a woman worthy of that kind of love. Not until Stephanie.

Stephanie was everything that I'd looked for. You might think it was strange to have such strong feelings for someone who I'd just met and didn't know a whole lot about. You would be right in those thoughts, but that didn't mean that I didn't really like her for what I did know. Stephanie was really expressive when she talked so I learned more about her from watching her facial expressions than I did hearing her words.

For example, when she was talking about growing up and she said she was always an embarrassment. I could see a spark of anger behind her eyes. She might be called an embarrassment, but she doesn't believe that's who she was and she wanted to change people's opinions of her. Her eyes rolled when she mentioned her sister, so that led me to believe that there is some rivalry there.

Her eyes filled with pride and what looked like defiance when she told me about her degree in business. From that, I learned that she probably went against her parent's wishes to go to college. She didn't let them tell her she couldn't do it and she was proud of herself for accomplishing it even if they weren't. I didn't tell her but I was proud of her too.

When she briefly talked about her short marriage, I could see the shame behind her gorgeous eyes. She might have thought she was putting on a good front about that, but I could see the pain that the asshole caused her and she was embarrassed about it. I made a mental note to work on that with her.

I saw her determination when she told me about losing her job and starting the bounty hunting gig. I'll be honest with you, Stephanie wasn't a typical bounty hunter. She was little and fragile in looks, but her spirit and determination was amazing. I knew she'd succeed at whatever she did.

But, what made me realize that she was different and what made me want to get to know her more was when she talked about being Wonder Woman. Her eyes came to life and sparkled crystal blue. She beamed with excitement, so much that I could almost feel it radiating off her. She wanted to fly. Maybe not literally, but she wasn't going to allow anyone to hold her back. She was beyond determined to live her life the way she wanted to.

While we were having our rendezvous on the hood of my car, I learned how much passion she held. She was an amazing lover from what I'd experienced so far. She responded to my touch in ways that no other woman had. She made me hard with one look, and I can't tell you how difficult it was to keep from creaming my jeans hearing her eat. Good Lord, it was sweet torture.

Leading her into the house, I watched her face. She took in her surroundings but didn't say anything. She had a slight blush to her complexion, like she was embarrassed again or she didn't quite know what she wanted to do. I wondered if she was having second thoughts about us going any further so I decided to ask.

"What's wrong, Beautiful? You look a little...lost." I dropped our clothes and shoes on the floor by the front door and took her in my arms. She immediately melted into my embrace and rested her head on my chest over my heart. I barely heard her release a sigh.

"Not lost, just not sure what we're doing." She was having second thoughts and I didn't want to pressure her. At first, tonight was all about getting her naked and in bed but sometime between the gun shop and getting her to the safe house, that had changed. I honestly wanted to get to know her. I didn't just want to fuck her and leave her. For the first time in my life, I wanted to hold someone all night and I didn't care about the sex.

"We're doing whatever you want to do, Beautiful." I kissed her on the head and pulled her back, so I could look into her eyes. "I won't lie to you. I want you, but if you're not ready for that then I understand. I really like you and I want the chance to get to know you." She smiled sweetly at me and my heart fluttered in excitement.

"I like you too, Les. Can we talk for a little bit and then see where this leads?" She looked down like asking that question embarrassed her.

I placed a finger under her chin and lifted her eyes back up to mine. "Sounds perfect, Beautiful. I'll get you some clothes to put on and you can get cleaned up." She nodded and followed me to a bedroom up the stairs.

"Why do you have clothes here? I thought this was a safe house." She looked around the room and took in all the things that I kept there.

"We use it as a safe house, but sometimes the guys and I need a place to escape to after a mission so we use whatever house isn't occupied. I keep clothes in all the safe houses." Thankfully, she seemed to accept the answer. I wasn't really ready to talk to her about the missions at that point. For some reason, I thought she'd see me differently after that conversation.

I pulled out a smaller T-shirt and a pair of lounge pants for her. I felt bad that she didn't have any underwear. I ruined the chance that she'll wear those again when I ripped them off her body. "Sorry about your panties. I guess I lost some control."

She blushed and giggled when I handed her the clothes. "It wasn't entirely your fault and you didn't hear me complaining, did you?"

I stepped up close to her and looked into her eyes. They immediately turned darker and I knew if I looked down, I'd see her nipples erect, begging for attention. "There was a lot of things coming out of that hot little mouth of yours, but not one complaint." The heat between us was almost overbearing and it was getting hotter the longer we stood that close to each other, so I cleared my throat to break the tension and then took a small step back. "The bathroom is across the hall. I'm going to change real fast and then grab our dessert out of the car. We can eat and talk on the couch." I tucked a curl behind her ear and then turned her toward the bathroom. It was too hard to stand that close to her with a bed one step away. I had control, but I wasn't Superman.

When I heard the bathroom door quietly close, I changed into a pair of basketball shorts and an old Army T-shirt of mine. I slipped on some flip-flops and ran out to the car to get the forgotten sack of dessert. Once back inside, I grabbed two waters out of the fridge and walked into the living room with everything in my arms.

After getting the food and drinks set out on the coffee table, I was able to situate myself on the couch before she came downstairs. I was waiting patiently when she walked timidly into the living room and when I first saw her my breath caught in my throat. She was absolutely breathtaking and I didn't know what to do.

When she first walked into the diner earlier in the day, she had her hair pulled back into a pony tail and she had on layers of make-up. That was something I was used to though. Every Jersey girl wore a whole lot of make-up. It was expected. When she came downstairs though...her hair was down and lying in wild curls around her face. I had always been attracted to curly-headed women, but there was something about her hair that made me crave to run my fingers through it. She also removed the make-up, so I got to see her original complexion and I was awestruck. Very few women had flawless skin like she did. I didn't understand why she covered it up.

The T-shirt she had on was big and the pants swallowed her, but seeing her in my clothes stirred something in me that I wasn't ready to admit then. I watched as she walked across the room and took a seat on the other end of the couch. She looked uncomfortable but I didn't know why.

Her voice was timid when she spoke. "Ummm...Les. Why are you looking at me like that? I know I must look crazy as hell, but my hair tie broke and I didn't have another. I'm sorry." Holy shit. I couldn't believe that she thought she looked bad! I realized that my staring wasn't really helping so I shook my head.

"Beautiful, I don't think you look crazy as hell. I think you look sexy as sin. I was just admiring your true beauty." She smiled at me and grabbed her box of tiramisu.

God, I knew hearing her eat it was going to cause me some pain and I wasn't wrong. Watching and listening to her enjoy her dessert was pure torture. I was so hard that I think I could have cut diamonds with my cock. I thanked God over and over when she took her last bite.

"Oh my God, Les. That was amazing. That was the best tiramisu that I've ever had." I chuckled at her excitement over a dessert.

"Glad you liked it. It's always been a favorite dessert of mine." I finished my serving without the fanfare and gathered up the trash to throw it away. I had to pause while in the kitchen to adjust myself. I didn't want her to think that sex was all I thought about, even though it was.

When I got back to the living room, Stephanie was sitting comfortably on the couch. Her head was resting on the back and she had her legs tucked up under her. Her eyes were closed but I knew she wasn't asleep. She was just very relaxed. It amazed me how trusting of me she was. She didn't really know me, but she was already so comfortable around me.

I hated to interrupt her relaxing, but there was a look on her face that I was curious about. "You look relaxed Beautiful and that smile on your face looks mischievous. What are you thinking about?" She opened one eye and leered at me. The smile on her face grew.

"I was just thinking about what my mom is going to say when she hears about our dinner. I can almost hear her 'why me' now." She smiled at me again and adjusted her body so that she was leaning on me. I put my arm across her shoulders and pulled her closer.

"Who says she has to know and why would she care?" I was honestly curious. Her statements earlier about being a disappointment came back and I wondered if her mom honestly said shit like that to her.

"Oh trust me, she'll find out about it. Someone in the restaurant probably recognized me and called her the minute they were by a phone. I'm actually really surprised she hasn't called my cell phone. She thinks my life needs to look like hers. She thinks I need to be married and have kids, but I don't want those things. We've had many disagreements about this subject. She is constantly pushing single guys at me." I felt her shudder and pulled her closer. So she didn't want marriage and kids. My heart sank a little, because those were things that I really wanted. She continued to talk as I held her. "I've always disappointed her and my family in some way, so I shouldn't worry about this. She'll demand I come to dinner and have an eligible bachelor waiting for me to turn away." She shook her head disgustedly, but I was confused about so many things.

"If she wants you married, wouldn't she be happy that you were on a date tonight?" Confusing question one.

"No offense Les, but you're not what my mom would call husband material." What the hell? Her mom didn't even know me.

"Why not?" What did I need to change? I would change for her.

"First, you're not from the 'Burg or Italian. She's so set in her traditions that she thinks my next husband should come from the my old neighborhood." Stephanie shook her head as if to remove some bad memory and then continued. "Secondly, you have a dangerous job. She thinks my husband should provide for me and our family but they should do something safe. Trust me...her idea of my ideal husband is FAR from what I actually want." I felt her sigh and snuggle down further into my embrace.

"What's your idea of the ideal husband then?" I was fishing, I know and I hoped she wouldn't catch on because I didn't want to scare her.

"Someone who loves me, trusts me, is faithful to me, doesn't lie to me or doesn't try to hold me back from living my life. I need someone who supports me and who helps me fly. I don't want to get married again until I find that man. Heritage, job, money, race...none of that matters to me. As long as he's fun to be around and won't leave me for no reason." She whispered the last part of that statement and I knew that someone had hurt her by leaving her. I would need to find out more about that person.

"That sounds like a good man. I'm surprised you haven't found him yet." I dropped a kiss on top of her head and heard her sigh.

"I thought I found him in college, but he dumped me and disappeared. I still don't know what I did wrong. Guess I'll never know. But after that was my marriage to Dickie. You know how well that went so I guess I just gave up looking for him. Maybe he doesn't exist." My heart was screaming that that man was sitting right beside her, but I kept my mouth from echoing it.

"I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong with douche bag number one. He was stupid to leave you. And what grown man calls himself Dickie? I don't need to say anything bad about him. He's taken care of making a fool of himself by just insisting on that name." I laughed and felt her chuckle too.

"Yeah, I have to agree with you. I call him the Dick." We laughed for a few minutes about the stupidity of her ex-husband. It was comfortable and I was enjoying the conversation until she changed directions.

"What about you, Les. What's your idea of the perfect wife?" Crap. I couldn't tell her that I had no idea what I wanted until I met her. How do you say that and not sound cheesy?

"I don't really have a preconceived idea. I'm not really looking right now, so I don't have to worry about thinking about it." That wasn't a total lie. I wasn't really looking because I thought I'd found her.

"Well, I'm sure when you find the right one you will know that she's everything that you wanted." Damn straight! She hit the nail right on the head with that statement.

"I couldn't agree more, Beautiful." I kissed her head and held her even closer to me. She felt so good in my arms. We were quiet for several minutes and I could tell she was thinking about something. I could almost smell the smoke.

"Don't think so hard, Beautiful. You might damage something." I laughed when she jumped at my voice. She really was deep in thought.

"If I ask you a question, will you honestly answer it? I mean...be truthful no matter if you think it will hurt me?" She turned her body so she could look in to my eyes. Her blue eyes were full of worry.

"I'll always be honest with you, Beautiful." I dropped a kiss on her nose and prepared myself for the question.

"Do you think I'm a slut? I mean, what normal girl meets a guy and immediately almost jumps into bed with him? We did more things tonight than I ever did with my husband and I just met you. I can't imagine what you think about me." Well shit! There was no good way to answer that question, but I had to try. I looked deep into her eyes and for the first time in my life, I spoke from my heart.

"I don't think you're a slut, Beautiful. I don't think anything close to that. I'm not going to lie to you, I have been a typical playboy my entire life. I use women for one thing and I leave them before they wake up. The women I was always interested in were looking for the same things I was and each one of them understood that it was only for one night. No strings, no hassles." I felt her tense and knew I needed to explain further. "Don't pull away from me, Beautiful. I don't want that with you. Well, the sex would be amazing..." She laughed and sat up so her face was even with mine. Her eyes were full of questions and I knew I had to man up and tell her the truth or I ran the risk of losing her.

"I want more with you. I don't know what it is that draws me to you, but I want to find out. I want to get to know you and...gasp...date. That is, if you want those things too." She smiled at me and my heart melted.

"I want those things too, Les." She placed a gentle kiss on my lips and then leaned her head back down on my shoulder. I was so thankful that she didn't turn me down.

We sat comfortably for hours talking about ourselves. I told her about RangeMan and the guys that worked with me. She was actually excited to meet all of them. The guys and I were a tough group to know, most of us were ex-military with a dark past; but I knew letting her meet them would be a good thing, for them and for her.

After we'd talked ourselves hoarse, I glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost two in the morning. I had to work later that day and needed at least a few hours of sleep. "Beautiful. Why don't we go upstairs and get some sleep? You can take a bedroom and I can take another if you don't feel comfortable sharing. You need your rest if we're going to catch your skip later today." She mumbled something resembling 'share' and I took it to mean she wanted to sleep with me. I could live with that. I gathered her up in my arms and carried her to the stairs turning off lights as I went.

I took her to the bedroom that we were in earlier and placed her in the king sized bed. She looked so small laying there and was practically asleep the second her head hit the pillow. After a trip to the bathroom, I crawled into bed next to her. The moment she felt me in bed she scooted herself next to me and my body instantly molded against hers. We fit together perfectly.

Before falling asleep, I made sure to set my cell phone alarm to wake me up in three hours. I didn't want to be late for the morning meeting because I would never hear the end of it from the guys if I was late. Especially if they found out the reason for my tardiness.

I fell asleep almost instantly holding Stephanie Plum in my arms. I didn't know what good deed I had done to be honored with that privilege, but I wasn't going to try to figure it out. I was afraid that there was a mistake and she would disappear from my life. Now that I had met her, I couldn't imagine her not being with me. My last thought before falling asleep was that I'd already fallen in love with her, but that couldn't be true. Could it?

####

Stephanie woke up before me and I heard her giggle from under the covers. She had her head strategically placed between my legs and was staring at my morning wood.

"I would say rise and shine, but you're already up." She giggled and took my head into her hot mouth. I fisted the sheets in my hands and moaned. God, she had a wonderful mouth.

I can't explain to you how perfect her technique was. She knew when to add pressure and when to back off. She knew when to deep throat and when to just take the head. She knew when to play with my balls and when to massage my thighs. She just knew how to give the perfect blow job. Her tongue was silky yet firm and glided over my skin like nothing I'd ever experienced.

"God, Beautiful that feels so good. Don't stop, Baby." I twisted my hand in her curls and guided her up and down on my dick. I was so close. Just a few more sucks and I'd release my cum down her throat.

"Yeah Beautiful, are you ready for me to cum? You think you can..."

Stephanie's scream woke me up and I immediately grabbed my gun, jumped out of bed and looked around for the threat. She was curled up in the middle of the bed staring at the open bedroom door with wide eyes. SHIT!

There stood five very pissed off mercenaries. Ranger, Tank, Bobby, Hector, and Cal stood with looks only reserved for their enemies. I guessed I didn't hear my alarm and I missed the meeting so I knew I was in trouble.

"Holy fuck. I died and woke up in the Playgirl Mansion. Maybe this is my heaven and they are my very sexy angels." Stephanie said from her place beside me. I knew she didn't mean to speak her thoughts out loud again, but she did and all of us heard them and all of us lost it. Six badass mercenaries stood laughing like we'd never laughed before.

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A/N - A little look into Les' thoughts. Many of you had him pegged and thought his player lifestyle was just a ruse until he found the right woman. Is that woman Stephanie? Guess you'll have to wait to find out.

**PSA #3 **- When setting an alarm on your cell phone to wake you up in the morning, always make sure it is set for AM and not PM. I can't tell you how many times I've overslept and cursed at my phone for not going off. Then later that evening, my alarm sounds and I'm dumbfounded until I realize what I did. =)


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews and fav/follows. You guys are amazing and I hit the 100 review mark with the last chapter! I'm amazed at your responses so far and love hearing from each of you.

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**Chapter 6**

**SPOV**

I can't describe how good it felt waking up wrapped in Lester's arms. I could tell by his breathing that he was still asleep, so I took the opportunity to really look at him. The darkness around his eyes was gone and so was the tension that he carried around his mouth. Even when he was joking with me, I could still see the slightest firm set to his jaw. While he was asleep, all of that was gone. He looked younger and he also looked peaceful. When he was awake, he was constantly on guard. I guess that came with the job. His eyes were always scanning the area and his body held a certain amount of tension, just like his mouth. When he was sleeping, he was totally relaxed and totally sexy. Awake he was completely gorgeous, but asleep he was completely edible.

We'd talked a whole lot the night before and I really learned a lot about him. He told me about his job and about the guys who work with him. He talked a little bit about his time in the Army, but I sensed him closing up when I asked questions about it, so I moved on to a different topic. My dad was the same way. He was in the Army before my sister and I were born and he refused to talk about it too. I couldn't blame them though. I couldn't imagine the horrible things they had to witness while serving our country.

Turning my attention back to the man lying beside me, I let out a little sigh. I didn't know how I got so lucky. He was perfect and I honestly didn't know why he wanted me. I was nothing special and felt kind of frumpy next to him, but he called me Beautiful so I decided that maybe I should trust him. He looked sincere when he said it and since he hadn't pushed for sex the night before, I knew he wasn't just saying it to get in my pants. I truly felt like he was genuinely attracted to me. That thought made me both giddy and bold. Chewing on my lip, my gaze scanned his body and I knew instantly what I wanted to do.

Throwing the sheets over my head, I slowly started to slide down to the impressive tent Les was making. I wanted to give him a wakeup call that he wouldn't ever forget and was about to take him into my mouth when a sound from downstairs stopped me. I listened for a few seconds and heard the front door open and close. I rose back up to the head of the bed and shook Les.

"Les...someone's here. You need to wake up." He didn't wake up, but he moaned a deep soulful sound that made my stomach all gooey. I shook him again. "LES! WAKE UP."

"God, Beautiful that feels so good. Don't stop, Baby." OMG...he was having a sex dream about me. I heard boots on the stairs and started to really freak out. I had no way to defend us and Les wasn't moving.

"Lester Santos. Wake up, NOW!" I tried punching him in the arm but he still didn't wake up.

"Yeah Beautiful, are you ready for me to cum?" He started to say something else, but I didn't hear it because I got distracted by the group of men that entered the bedroom. I didn't know what else to do, so I screamed. That woke Les up.

In a second he was standing up and looking at the guys with his gun pointed at them. I heard him swear and stare at the men who invaded our privacy. From my place curled up in bed, I got a good look at the men in the room with us.

The first looked a little like Les. He had darker skin, the color of mocha latte, and dark eyes. He had a body of a God and his stance screamed ALFA MALE.

The man standing next to him was taller and had more muscles. His skin was dark chocolate and his head was bald. He looked like a tank. The man next to him was equally as attractive as the first two. His skin tone was a few shades lighter, maybe like milk chocolate. His short hair was dark and his light brown eyes were sparkling with mirth.

The next man in the group was the smallest, but he looked like he was the most dangerous. He was Latino with dark eyes. He had tattoos on his arms and up his neck, but what frightened me the most about him was the three tear drop tattoos under his eye. I wasn't stupid, I knew what those meant. Even though he looked scary, he was also strangely attractive. He screamed bad boy!

The last guy was the tallest of the group. He wasn't as big as the tank looking guy, but he was close. His bald head was freshly shaved and staring at me from a place of honor on his forehead was an impressive flaming skull tattoo. I thought it was a weird placement, but it worked for him. All five of those men made my hormones sit up and pay attention.

"Holy fuck. I died and woke up in the Playgirl Mansion. Maybe this is my heaven and they are my very sexy angels." I honestly didn't mean to speak out loud. I blamed the shock of the invasion for my word vomit.

I assumed since Les didn't shoot any of them that he knew them and I figured that they were some of the guys that he worked with. Once it registered with each of them, what I had spewed, they all burst out laughing.

Oh my God! I thought they were sexy before. Laughing, though, they were orgasmic. One thought passed through my mind, "I think my panties just got ruined...oops, I'm not wearing any."

The laughing stopped suddenly and I suddenly found all twelve dark eyes focused directly on me. Lester growled from beside me and I realized that my word vomit had struck again. Shit! I really needed to fix that.

"Shit, Beautiful, these guys don't need that imagery right now." I burrowed down further in the covers and tried to cover my burning red face. I prayed that I could disappear from my embarrassment.

"Guys, can you wait downstairs for us?" Les sounded a little angry. His voice was harsh and left no room for discussion or arguments. I watched, from my place under the covers, as the five guys turned and left us alone. I was still so embarrassed and I was sure that Les was mad at what I said about his coworkers.

"I'm so sorry, Beautiful. I didn't know they would show up here. I guess I slept past my alarm." He kept trying to dig me out from my bunker of covers, but I refused to budge. "Beautiful, can you come out please?" He was chuckling! Bastard thought it was funny. He did say the magic word so I huffed and threw the covers back. He smiled down at me and brushed the wild hair away from my face.

"Don't be embarrassed. You'll like the guys once you get to meet them properly. Will you please come downstairs with me?" Damn that magic word again. His face was sincere though so I simply nodded.

"Can I go to the bathroom first? I want to look half way presentable when I meet your friends." He smiled at me again and kissed my nose.

"You look beautiful right now. You could have no hair and wear a potato sack and still be beautiful to me." I leaned up and kissed his lips. No one had ever looked at me the way he did. He truly believed that I was beautiful and knowing that he felt that way made me feel beautiful.

"Clean up. I'm going to go downstairs. Come down when you're ready. I'm sorry that I don't have any other clothes for you." I stood up and glanced at what I was wearing. Big lounge pants and a T-shirt. It wasn't the most attractive outfit, but it was clean and it was comfortable.

"It's okay. I'm not trying to impress anyone except you." He beamed at me and kissed me hungrily.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You've done more than just impress me." I melted into his embrace and kissed him back. He knows just what to say to make me feel all tingly inside.

I stepped away from him and hurried into the bathroom. I heard Les walk down the stairs and then heard all the guys talking. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but it didn't really matter. I did what I could to fix myself but it didn't help that much. I wet my hair down and fixed my curls as best I could. I washed my face and found some toothpaste to brush my teeth. Well, finger my teeth. I improvised when I had to.

When I had myself in some sort of order, I took a deep breath and exited the bathroom. I walked quietly down the stairs and found all the guys in the kitchen. Les saw me first and walked quickly to my side. He gave me a panty melting kiss and then turned to the group of guys.

"Guys, this is Stephanie Plum. She's the new BEA that Vinnie hired." I smiled and gave the guys a finger wave. They all smiled back. He walked me to where each guy was standing to introduce them to me.

"Beautiful, these are some of the guys that I work with." He stopped in front of the little guy. "This is Hector. He's our tech guy." I shook his hand and smiled brightly at him. He was hesitant at first, but smiled back at me and kissed my hand.

"This is Bobby Brown. He's my partner and the company medic. We get injured and he fixes us." Bobby took my hand and placed a kiss on it.

"Nice to meet you Stephanie. Let me know when Santos breaks your heart. I'll patch you right up." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I couldn't help but giggle. Les slapped him on the back of the head and glared at him. Seeing him do that made me laugh harder.

"Next, we have Calvin West." Flaming skull tattoo rolled his eyes and kissed my hand like the other guys.

"Call me Cal, Angel. My mother is the only one who calls me Calvin." I smiled at him and nodded my head.

"The big guy is Tank. I can't tell you his real name because he might kill me if I do. You might be able to sweet talk it out of him though." I highly doubted that. It was nice to know that my first impression was right. I thought he looked like a tank and sure enough, he was. He didn't kiss my hand, but shook it firmly.

"Last but not least, this is the idiot who stood you up yesterday. This is my cousin, Ranger." Tall dark and handsome took my hand and placed a kiss on my knuckles. His lips remained there longer than the other guys and his dark eyes stayed fixed right on mine.

"Babe." I blushed when his husky voice rumbled past his lips. God, he was sex on legs. He finally released my hand and I snuggled back into Les' arms.

"It's nice to meet you all. Les has told me a little about you, but it's nice to have faces to go with the stories." Les kissed my temple and then spoke to the guys.

"Now, you've all met her and know that I'm not dead...so you can all go back to the office. I'll be there soon." The guys laughed at Les' obvious attempt to dismiss them.

"No way man. Ranger drug us out here to make sure you make it in to work today. We don't leave until you do." Cal laughed and shook his head and Les glared at Ranger. Ranger just shrugged his shoulders.

"What was I supposed to do? You disappear from the map after your 'meeting' and then call suddenly to turn off the cameras here, and then you miss the morning meeting. What did you expect?" Ranger looked serious, but if you looked close you could see a slight smile on his lips.

"I expected you not to interrupt my girlfriend and I's first date." I think Les spoke before thinking because once he said those words, he stiffened. The guy's eyes bugged out at the word girlfriend and I began to panic.

I had just met him less than twenty-four hours ago. True, there was instant attraction and I really liked his personality, but was I ready to become his girlfriend? We had talked the night before about getting to know each other but we didn't decide on anything. I hated labels like boyfriend/girlfriend. Labels made me run, and that was exactly what I tried to do.

"Ummm...I need to get dressed and head home anyway. I'll be ready to go in a second." I pulled myself out of Les' arms and grabbed the pile of clothes that were laying by the front door. My underwear was torn, but the rest of my clothes would be fine to wear home. I ran up the stairs and locked myself in the bathroom and let a tear fall. I wasn't ready for labels, but I also didn't want to walk away from Les.

**LPOV**

I fucked up. I was so pissed that the guys ambushed Steph and I that I didn't think to filter my words. I could tell from the very beginning that she was afraid of relationships. She did everything in her power to steer clear of them and there I was pushing the word girlfriend on her. Fuck, I knew better than that shit. We all watched her hastily retreat up the stairs.

"Sooo...Santos. How was your night last night?" Bobby looked so fucking smug. They all knew that sticking around wasn't my normal MO with women. I fucked them, left them, and bragged to the guys about how good the woman was. That morning, I wasn't about to tell them anything about what happened between Stephanie and I.

"Fuck you guys. Why the hell did you have to fuck this up? I really like this girl and I'm afraid I just scared her off." I ran my hand through my hair and let out a deep sigh.

"Woah. Santos and 'like a girl' in the same sentence? It's the first sign of the apocalypse." Cal joked from his place behind the counter.

"No. The first sign of the apocalypse is when he goes on a second date with the girl." Tank bellowed and slapped me on the back. Fuck, I knew that I was never going to hear the end of this.

"Shut the fuck up. I can change you know. I don't have to stay the same person for the rest of my life. You guys stay here while I do damage control with Steph." I grabbed my shoes from beside the door and ran up the stairs to where Stephanie was trying her hardest to hide from me.

"I'll be ready to go in five minutes, Fuckers." I yelled to the guys and they all laughed, loudly.

I found Steph sitting on the bed in the room we'd shared the night before. She had her clothes on and she was folding the clothes that I gave her to wear. I noticed a few tear tracks and hated that I'd made her cry.

"You okay, Beautiful?" I guess she hadn't noticed me because she jumped and her eyes snapped up to meet mine. They were filled with such pain.

"I'm fine. I'm ready to go if you are." She stood and started to walk out the door. I didn't want to let her walk away mad so I grabbed her arm and spun her around to face me.

"Don't walk away, Beautiful. Please. I'm sorry if I scared you with my stupid choice of words." She took a few minutes to think about something, so I let the silence between us stretch. I could almost smell the smoke coming out of her ears and was starting to get worried. Finally she let out a long sigh and stepped into my arms. I circled them around her and held her tight. I didn't know if that was going to be the last time holding her was possible.

"I'm not walking away. I know you need to get to work, and I need to get home and check on Rex. The word girlfriend scared me, but it also excited me. I'm not ready for the label, but I would love to have the perks of dating you." She smiled up at me and I placed a kiss on her lips.

"Dating it is. How about dinner and a movie tonight?" Her smile grew and she nodded. With our personal life settled, I wanted to talk to her about the professional side of our relationship.

"Now...I'm going to talk to Ranger about taking some time off to help you with your first few skips. I don't want you going out solo until I can see what your skills are." She seemed put off by my statement, but I just smiled at her hoping she'd melt. I knew she wasn't going to like needing help, but I didn't want her to get hurt. "Can I call you after I talk to Ranger? Maybe we can pick up your guys today."

She thought for a few minutes and when I saw her eyes soften I knew I'd won. "Sounds good. But I might go after the guys that I know from my high school days. I doubt I have any problem with them. We can go after Mr. Goody together." It sounded like a fair compromise, so I smiled at her and kissed her on her luscious lips.

When I pulled away, we were both breathless and I swear I heard her whimper. My voice was husky as I spoke. "Let's go before they send up the search party again." Letting out a deep breath, she smiled and we walked down the stairs together.

The guys were standing around the front door all looking at something on the floor. When I caught sight of what it was, I rushed forward to grab it. I didn't want those fuckers looking at my woman's thong on or off her body. Bobby and Cal both had appreciative looks on their faces and Ranger and Tank were both stoic as always. Hector, though, surprised me. Rumor was he was gay, but he was admiring her thong too much for a gay man. The guys all looked at me when I picked up the thong and put it in my pocket. I smiled slyly at each of them and wiggled my eyebrows. Let them think whatever they want. I got raised eyebrows from each of my brothers.

"Be bitter bastards, she's all mine." I mumbled to them just loud enough for them to hear. I heard five mumbled curses which made me smile.

Steph came bouncing toward the door smiling at everyone. Luckily she had gone to the living room to get her purse instead of coming to the door with me. She would have been mortified if she saw the guys looking at her thong.

We all piled out the door and after locking up, I watched as the five guys squeezed into one SUV. Poor Hector had to sit in the in the middle of the backseat between Cal and Bobby. I got Stephanie situated inside my car and then pulled up beside the SUV.

"I've got to drop Steph off at home, and then I'll be in. I need to talk to you, Ranger, as soon as I get there." He nodded and drove off toward Trenton.

We followed them almost the whole way back into Trenton, but I exited before them to take Steph home. She gave me directions and when I stopped in front of her apartment building, I winced. It was an older building that had zero security. I hoped at least she wasn't staying in one of the units with a fire escape. Those were just screaming for someone to break in.

"Thanks for the ride home. I'm going to shower and then grab a ride back to my car. I forgot we left it at the diner last night." I hadn't forgotten about her car and secretly hoped that someone stole it but I wasn't going to tell her that.

"If you need a ride to your car later, let me know. I'll be happy to drive you over there." I kissed her gently as I brushed some hair out of her face.

"I'll be okay. I'll just call my dad." I knew she hated admitting that she might accidentally need someone's help. She was too independent to admit something like that.

"Okay. I'll call you a little later. Good luck picking up your guys this morning." She smiled and kissed me before hopping out of the car and running toward her apartment. I sat and watched to see what unit she went into. I was praying it wasn't one I could see, but was severely disappointed when the lights switched on in a second floor unit. I watched a familiar silhouette walk into one room and then I saw her moving around in another.

Sighing, I pulled out of her lot and headed toward the office. I knew I needed to talk to her about security. I didn't like that she was so exposed, especially being a bounty hunter. We attracted all sorts of unsavory people so she would need to understand that fact and expect retaliation. She had so much to learn and I hoped that she would let me teach her.

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**PSA #4 - **After some extensive Google searches, I've discovered a troubling fact. There is no Playgirl Mansion. Now, I don't know about you all, but I find this unfair and quite distressing. But there is a solution. If we all stick together and write our congress people, I'm sure we can remedy this travesty that has befell our great country. Equal ogling for all should be our motto! If men can go to a huge house and see naked women, then we women deserve the same rights. If we stand united...we can achieve anything! :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine...unfortunately!

Here we go with the next chapter. Thank you all for your continued support and kind words. Having followers like you is what makes this so much fun!

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**Chapter 7**

**SPOV**

I often wondered what the hell was wrong with me. Why did I always have to act like such a spaz? I mean, I had a great guy who was obviously interested in dating me. He was sexy as hell and just from the taste I got last night; I knew he was going to be masterful in bed. Sounds good, right? I thought so too, so why the hell did I freak out over being called his girlfriend?

I practically ran up the stairs and hid when Les let that word slip. I wasn't even sure he meant to say it because I could see the panic on his face when he did. Our talk afterwards helped calm me down and when Les asked me out on a date, I got downright giddy. I hadn't felt like that since...well, ever but I sure as hell enjoyed the feeling.

Once our personal relationship was taken care of, Les turned to the professional. I was beyond excited to have him teach me a few things, but I didn't like that he didn't think I could do it on my own. I know that I didn't really know anything about the job, but he acted like I was going to get myself hurt. After doing some heavy thinking, I agreed to not go after Goody without Les' back up, but I figured I could take care of Mooner and Dougie. I haven't seen them since high school, so I knew it was going to be loads of fun.

When Les dropped me off at my apartment, I ran upstairs and fed Rex right off the bat. He'd been without food for almost a whole day. Poor little guy, it wasn't his fault that his mom was horny. After he got his tummy full, he was happy and retreated back in his soup can. I grabbed a change of clothes and headed toward the bathroom.

It didn't take me long to shower and dress. My hair was easy because I just threw it back into a sloppy pony tail and called it done. I didn't bother with make-up, so quickly I was ready to go. I grabbed my purse and files off the table and headed down to the parking lot. I realized when I got there that my car was still five blocks away at the diner. I could call a cab (my dad) or Les or I could walk. Five blocks wasn't that far and it was a nice day so I decided to walk. That would give me the chance to read over the files I had.

Mooner and Dougie hadn't changed much since high school. They were both arrested for possession of a controlled substance (ie. Marijuana). One night, after getting stoned, they decided they wanted to swing at the park at 3 o'clock in the morning. Problem was the park is closed at that time and someone called the cops on them. Since the boys had a joint on them, the cops took them in. Sounds silly, I know, but that was the law.

When I finally made it to the diner, I paused and took stock of my car. The pussy was still on the side in bright pink, but I guess someone was all for gender equality because now on the other side of my car was a picture of the perfect penis. It was really excellent artwork and I would have admired it more if it wasn't on the side of my car. I let out a sigh and climbed in my piss-mobile and drove to the house listed in Mooner's file. I hoped the two stoners were together.

After parking on the street, I climbed out of the car walked up to the door. Giving it a sharp knock, I waited a few minutes and was about to knock again when I heard something fall over inside and someone curse loudly. I giggled to myself. I guess I woke someone up. Dougie answered the door and stared at me with a dazed and confused look on his face until realization hit.

"Stephanie Plum?" Mooner appeared behind him and smiled. He recognized me right away.

"Hi guys. You got a minute to talk?" They both nodded and let me inside. The house was scarcely furnished and dirty, but what did I expect from two stoner bachelors?

"You guys missed your court dates and I need to take you back to the police station to reschedule." They both stared at me lost in their thoughts.

"Oh yeah. We got that really good score and we smoked in the parking lot instead of going to court." Dougie smacked his head and Mooner just looked lost, nothing new there.

"So you're a bounty hunter now?" Dougie smiled at me. He hadn't changed at all. Same boyish features, same dirty blond hair, same lean body. He was cute, but not Lester cute.

"I am. Just started yesterday and you two are my first two pick-ups." I smiled at them.

"Do we win a prize?" Dougie wiggled his eyebrows and moved closer to me. I wasn't really comfortable with the look in his eyes so I stepped back and laughed.

"Yep. The prize is a free trip in my POS to the police station." Sadly that logic worked on them because they both got excited and high-fived each other.

"Let us get our shoes and we're all yours, Dudette." Mooner was on the move getting his Vans from under the table and Dougie was looking under the couch for whatever he wore. Before I knew it, we were in my car headed to the police department. Surprisingly, neither guy had a comment about the artwork.

The whole re-bonding process only took about thirty minutes. Connie met us at the station and walked me through my part and then she showed me how she re-bonded people. All in all it wasn't bad and I thought I could get the hang of it.

All of us walked out together and I had my two body receipts that would make me six hundred dollars richer. It wasn't a whole lot of money, but I was sure excited.

"Thanks Connie. I'm going to run the guys home and then I'll come into the office." She smiled, nodded and took off in her car.

On the way to Mooner's house, Dougie decided that he wanted some lunch so we stopped at McDonald's for Big Macs and fries. We drove to the house and all went inside to eat. The boys had on an Alf marathon so, I sat and watched a few episodes with them as I ate my food. I used to love that show. After I'd had enough of eighties sitcoms, I stood up and threw away my trash. "Alright guys. I'm off. I'm sure I'll see you again soon."

"Thanks Steph. If you ever want some special product, we're the ones that you come to." Mooner was trying to drum up some business.

"You're my go too guys for the special products. Got ya. Bye boys." I left them to their joints and Alf and drove to the bonds office.

On the way there, I decided to call Les and tell him how my morning went. I was excited about my two captures, even though they did come willingly and I wanted to share the news with him. I grabbed my cell phone and found his contact information. He had programmed it into my phone the night before while we were talking on the couch. I found his number under 'Sexiest Man Alive' Santos. I shook my head and dialed the number.

"Yo, Beautiful how was your pickup?" It amazed me that just hearing his voice made me smile like a school girl. I couldn't help it.

"It went great. I delivered two guys to the TPD without incident." I proudly told him and could hear him laughing on the other end.

"That's great. Proud of you, Beautiful. Now...Ranger has agreed to give me this afternoon and all day tomorrow to help you out. Have you had lunch or do you want to grab something before we head out?" I could hear loud talking behind him and had to chuckle. It sounded like the guys were giving him a hard time.

"I ate a little while ago, but I can meet you if you're hungry. Who knows, maybe I'll get dessert." Les got quiet and groaned.

"I'm not sure I can sit with you in public while you eat dessert. I'll just grab something here and meet you at the office in thirty minutes. I want to save room for dinner tonight anyway." I had forgotten about the date that night.

"I'm looking forward to it, too. What time do I need to be ready and what do I need to wear?" Both important things to know prior to planning my schedule.

"Reservation is at seven, so I'll be at your apartment by six-thirty. We're going to the new steak house so dress nice." Shit, I'd heard about that place. It took weeks to get a reservation and it cost a crap ton of money.

"Sounds good. I'll be ready AND I'll be waiting at the office for you. I'm actually there now, so I'll talk to Connie and check out any new files she might have. See ya soon, Sexy Man." I laughed when he chuckled.

"See ya soon, Beautiful." I hung up and walked into the office smiling and whistling. I was happy and Connie recognized it immediately.

"That's not just a normal happy look. That's a happy look of someone who got lucky last night. Did you and Ranger have a nice meeting?" I smiled and shook my head.

"Ranger couldn't make it, so he sent Lester Santos. Lester and I had a very good meeting." Connie's eyes got big.

"Lester is the Latino guy with the gorgeous green eyes right?" Oh yeah, and he was mine.

"Yep, that's him." She leaned back in her chair and fanned herself.

"You are one lucky woman. I've eyed him for months. He has starred in many of my fantasies." I laughed. I could see how that was possible.

"Well, change your leading man. Les is mine. Although, any of the guys that work with him would be a fine substitute. I met some of them this morning and DAMN, especially his cousin Ranger. Oh My God." She nodded her head in agreement.

"Tell me about it. They come in here all the time and I just have to look. I'm jealous that you got to touch." We laughed and talked about the guys a little. I didn't go into detail about what Les and I did the night before but I told her about our date later. She was happy for me. The bell above the door jingled and I smelled the unmistakable scent of my man.

"Speak of the sexy devil and he shows up just in time for me to ravish him." I said before I turned around. I must have shocked him because he didn't say anything or approach any further than the front door.

"How did you know it was me, Beautiful?" I decided to play a little game.

"Oh, Les. Ooops...I thought you were someone else." I shyly spoke. Connie knew what I was doing so she tried to hold in her laughter.

"Who did you think I was?" No laughter from the sexy man. He was mad.

"Well, you're not the only sexy devil in this town are you?" I stood and walked up to him and reached up to whisper into his ear. "You are, however, my sexy devil." I licked his ear and then placed a kiss on his cheek. I stunned him because he stood there dazed for a second. His lips turned up in a sexy smile and he grabbed me and squeezed me. I squealed and tried to get away.

"Don't play games like that, Beautiful. I play dirty." Les licked down my neck and I drew in a quick breath.

"Get a room you two. I have to listen to Vinnie all day, I don't need to watch you guys." Connie was smiling as she scolded us.

"Okay, okay. You ready to go? I've got Mr. Goody from yesterday and two other guys to pick up." I turned in Les' arms and smiled at him.

"I'm ready if you are. Let's go get Mr. Goody." Les led me out the door and stopped when he saw the latest artwork. He shook his head and directed me toward a black SUV.

"Where's your Mustang?" I was a little disappointed that it wasn't there.

"I only drive it while I'm off duty. This is a company vehicle." I nodded.

"Would you like me to drive us?" I was halfway joking but seeing his eyes roll and his grimace was worth it.

"I can't ride in a car with a penis on it. It goes against my religion." I laughed as he closed me in the SUV and ran around to the other side.

"What's the matter? Is sexy Lester afraid of a little penis?" I giggled from the seat beside him.

"Not afraid of it. I just don't want to think about it. I treat my penis nicely and that's all I want to think about." He looked so serious that I had to laugh at him. He glared at me and it made me laugh harder. He was too damn cute when he looked at me like that.

Between laughs, I was able to sputter out, "I thought it was me who treated your penis nicely." His eyes turned dark and he looked at me like he was going to devour me. I thought maybe I shouldn't have played that game with him. I wasn't sure I could win.

"Oh, you treat him more than just nicely, Beautiful." He wiggled his eyebrows and I giggled. I really could see him being a complete flirt and ladies man in his past. Why he wanted to be with me was a giant mystery.

"What's the address for your skip? I know you told me last night, but I think we got preoccupied before we got to the house." I got a hot flash just thinking about what preoccupied our thoughts. I told Les the address and before I knew it, we were speeding off toward the familiar house.

We pulled up to the residence and I let out a sigh. It looked just as I remembered. The kids still stood at the corner and the pile of smelly trash still sat at the curb. I watched Les get out and call over one of the kids. He had a whispered conversation with him and then met me in front of the house.

"Okay Beautiful, let's see what you got." I smiled and approached the door. I gave it a firm knock and then stepped back to wait. After a few seconds, I came face to face to the same man who manhandled me the day before.

"Brian Goody? My name is Stephanie Plum and I work with your bondsman. You missed your court date and I need to take you to the police station to reschedule." I gave the same spiel that I did the first time I was there and he didn't like it any better the second time he heard it.

"You're the bitch that was here yesterday. I didn't go with you then, and I'm not going with you now." Les was standing back watching me. I felt self-conscious with him here, but I had a job to do. I remembered Les' tips from the shooting range yesterday and pulled out my stun gun and had it ready.

"I've got news for you. You will be coming with me today. Now the question is are you going to come the easy way or the hard way?" I felt tough even though I wasn't, but something about having Les behind me helped.

Brian Goody decided to go about it the hard way and before I knew what happened, he grabbed me by the throat with his beefy hand. He started to pull me inside and Les immediately drew his pistol and had it pointed at his head.

"The lady asked you to come nicely. I suggest you put her down and walk out here before I get pissed and plant a hollow-point in between your eyes." Les' voice was hard and it had a don't fuck with me tone. Brian's eyes got wide when he saw the gun pointed at him and immediately released me. I gasped for breaths to fill my lungs and stumbled back out the door. Les kept his gun trained on the skip and I watched as Brain laid down on the ground and put his hands behind his back.

"Cuff him, Beautiful." Les didn't take his eyes off the skip until I had him handcuffed. Then he holstered his pistol and pulled me into his arms. His eyes stayed on Brian, but his focus was on me.

"Shit, are you okay, Beautiful?" I could hear the worry and fear in his voice.

"I'm fine. He didn't hurt me." He could have and would have if Lester hadn't been there. I started to think the job was maybe too much for me.

"I saw him grab you and I wanted to kill him. I'm so sorry, Beautiful. I shouldn't have let him get that close to you." Les kissed my forehead and I felt him let out a big breath.

"It's not your fault, Les. He moved fast. I still have a whole lot to learn, don't I?" Les nodded and then he took another deep breath.

"Let's get him to the station and then we can talk about where to go from here." Les let me go and picked up the skip from the pavement. I locked and closed Brian's door for him and followed behind the two men.

Surprisingly, the SUV sat untouched and I shook my head. The kid Les spoke to was standing in front of it and Les shook his hand and the kid ran off. Les got the skip in the back of the SUV and we took off toward the police station.

"What did you say to that kid? They are the ones who spray painted my car." The skip laughed from the back seat and I sent him a glare over my shoulder.

"I paid him one hundred dollars to protect the SUV. It always helps to have some extra money for instances like that." My eyes bugged out. Shit, I wanted to just be the car protector for RangeMan? I could use a hundred dollars.

We got to the police station and Les walked me through the re-booking process again. He told me more information than Connie did, so I was thankful for his help. When Mr. Goody was safely back into the TPD's custody and we were safely back in the SUV, I decided to tell Les some of my concerns.

"I'm not sure I'm cut out for this. I mean, if you hadn't been with me today then I could have been seriously hurt or killed." I hated admitting that I failed at something, but maybe it was the truth.

"This job is not for everyone, but I think you have potential. You just need some training and more confidence. I can help with both of those. Now, who else do you have?" I was surprised that Les didn't agree with me and let me quit. I had hope that with his help, maybe I could do the job and not get killed.

"Greg Brown, age 31, arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. Sounds fun." I looked at the guy's picture and laughed. He was wearing a fuzzy bear suit. I studied the picture some more when recognition hit me. "Wait, I know this guy. I went to school with him. He was in the 'alternative lifestyle' group." He was always weird growing up and from the rumors I've heard, he only got weirder as he got older.

"What do you mean by 'alternative lifestyle'?" Les sounded curious.

"Well, if the rumors are true than he's what's called a furry. He gets off by wearing furry animal costumes. He can only 'rise to the occasion' if his partner is in a furry suit too." Les laughed loudly and shook his head.

"And you know him how?" Les looked at me, intrigued by my answer.

"I went to school with him. Sadly, I probably know most of the people who will need picking up. That's what happens when you grow up here." Les, still laughing, nodded and started to drive to the address I gave him. On the way there, he decided to teach me some more about bounty hunting.

"Usually...when we pick up the files from Connie, we'll spend a few days using our systems to research them. We have multiple search programs that allow us to know everything there is to know about the person we're apprehending. I would suggest getting a laptop and some of those programs to use for your skips. Going into a situation with all the information will save your life." I nodded. I couldn't afford anything like that right then, but I kept it in mind for the future.

Les parked in front of the skip's house and started to get out when I put a hand on his arm. Something didn't feel right. My stomach was in knots and I knew something was definitely wrong.

"Something's wrong here, Les. We need to leave." I was panicking because I didn't want something to happen to us.

"What do you mean something's wrong? Everything looks fine." Les obviously didn't feel the same things I felt.

"I don't know what's wrong, but it's something bad. I can't tell you why I know that, but I do and I know if you get out of this car then you're going to get hurt. Please trust me and get us out of here." I guess the fear in my voice convinced him because he pulled away and sped down the street.

"I'm going to call for back up and the guys and I will check it out, okay?" I nodded. It felt safer being far away from the house. I wasn't sure what caused my unease, so I was looking around for anything that might be dangerous but didn't see anything. Les was on the phone talking to someone at RangeMan when the house suddenly exploded in a gigantic show of fire.

Debris flew in every direction and the ground shook even where we were parked down the street. Les cussed into his phone and told whoever he was talking to to dispatch fire and EMT to our location. All I could do was sit in horror and watch flaming pieces of wood and fabric fall from the sky.

Luckily there wasn't another house around the skip's home. It looked like many of the lots had been demolished and left empty. Les grabbed my hand and squeezed it after he hung up the phone and we sat, waiting.

The fire trucks got there first and immediately started putting out the flames. The EMT's remained back with Les and I. They weren't sure they even needed to be there. If the skip was inside, he was long gone. Ranger and Tank showed up soon after the fire trucks and approached us.

"Report." Ranger barked at Les and the sound of his voice made me jump.

"We arrived at 1400, and I was about to exit the vehicle to approach the target's residence. Stephanie stopped me and said that we needed to get out of the area because something didn't feel right. After I questioned her a bit more, I decided to follow her instincts and we pulled back to this location. I called for backup but before I got to report to the control room, the house blew. Unknown at this time if the skip was inside or not." I listened to his professional detailing of what happened. It sounded accurate to me.

I couldn't turn my eyes away from the burning house. If I had let Les go up to that door, he would have been killed and I would have been right behind him. I didn't realize that the guys were trying to talk to me until Tank snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"Wha…?" My voice was breathy and I sounded distracted.

"I asked you if you were okay. You look dazed, Little Girl." Tank was looking at me with concern on his dark face.

"I'm okay. Just a little shaken. If I hadn't stopped Les, we would both be dead." Tank nodded his head.

"I know, Little Girl. You've got a hell of a set of instincts on you. Don't ignore them." I smiled at Tank and turned to Lester and Ranger who were talking to a detective. I grimaced when I recognized who it was.

Joe fucking Morelli. We had history, and by history I mean a few instances where I let him take advantage of me. When I was six and then ten years later. The last time I saw him he was bouncing off the hood of my car. I hated him with a passion. He was talking to the guys, so I decided to listen in.

"...fire found your guy inside, DOA. Looks like he was using the house to cook meth and something went wrong. What baffles us is the costume he was wearing. It looks like a shaggy dog. It's kind of hard to tell because it's all melted to him, but you can definitely see some of the fur left." He shook his head and then his eyes caught mine.

"Cupcake? What the hell are you doing here?" God I hated that name. He gave it to me after he took my virginity when I was sixteen. The poems he wrote all over town said that I was sweet and oh so good to eat, just like a cupcake.

"Joe. The skip was mine. I was here to apprehend him." I left my tone flat and my face blank. I really didn't like Morelli.

"You're a bounty hunter? Your mom must love that." He laughed and then leered at me. The guys were watching our interaction with a look of caution. I wanted them to beat his ass.

"You're looking good, Cupcake. It's been too long. You want to grab a drink and we can...catch up?" Ughhhh...I didn't want to catch anything with him. Word around town was he slept with anyone willing.

"No thanks, Joe. I already have plans for tonight." Lester stepped close to me and I wrapped my arm around his waist. I was staking my claim and letting Joe know that I wasn't available.

Joe watched my interaction with Les and I could see the look of disappointment on his face. "I see. Well, it was good to see you Cupcake. Stop by the station and get your body receipt later. You found your guy dead or alive." He smiled and walked away. I let out a sigh of relief when he was gone and Les leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"You're going to have to explain the nickname later tonight. I'm not sure I'm going to like the reason he calls you Cupcake." I knew he wouldn't like it, but I would be honest with him. Les smiled to me and turned to the guys.

"I'm going to take Steph back to her car. We've got plans for later tonight." Tank smiled and Ranger's eyebrow went up.

"Second date, huh? Wasn't that the first sign?" Tank laughed and I looked at Les confused. Ranger surprised us all when he pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you, Stephanie. I can't bear to lose one of my men, but Les is more than just an employee. You saved his life, Babe." A tear fell from my eye and he wiped it off my face.

"It was my fault he was here in the first place, so you should be angry at me for putting him in danger." Ranger shook his head and hugged me tighter.

"Anyone can be in the wrong place at the wrong time, you realized there was danger and got out of there. Don't think that's not a big deal." He let me go and Les took me into his arms.

"You two have fun tonight." Ranger smiled at both of us. "Santos, don't forget your appointment on the mats at 0500 tomorrow." Les grimaced and Tank laughed so loud that the people around us stopped to stare. I guess it wasn't a sight they saw very often.

"Yes, Dad." Les rolled his eyes and directed me toward the SUV.

We stopped by the police station to sign our statements and pick up my body receipt which didn't take long. Les was quiet on the drive to the bonds office, which I was okay with. It gave me time to think about what happened. I wasn't aware of where we were until Les' voice broke through my thoughts and I saw we were parked in front of the office.

"Are you sure you still want to go out tonight, Beautiful? I would understand if you didn't. You've had a crazy day." Les tried to hide the disappointment in his voice, but was unsuccessful. My day was crazy, but nothing was going to ruin my night.

"I'm positive, Les. If I let every crazy day ruin my plans, then I wouldn't ever do anything. I'm excited about tonight." I squeezed his hand and smiled at him. He smiled his sexy half-smile back.

"I'm excited, too. I'm going to go home and get ready. I'll see you in a little bit, Beautiful." I smiled and kissed him before hopping out of the SUV and running into the office.

Connie quickly wrote my checks and I told her I would talk to her in the morning before hurrying out of the office. I sped home in my piss-mobile visualizing my closet, trying to decide on what to wear. By the time I got home, I only had about an hour to get ready for my date. I was determined and excited so I knew I would be ready on time AND I would look fucking amazing!

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**PSA # 5 - **As strange as it may sound...Furries are real. They are people, just like you and me, who like to get dressed up in animal costumes. They have conventions where thousands gather together in a week of informational meetings and activities (I've seen a documentary about it...it's really quite amazing) and they even have their own dating site. In general, Furries are harmless. They want to be left alone to live their life the way they desire and in the end...isn't that what we all want?

**PSA # 6 - **Yes, this chapter gets 2...Cooking meth is extremely dangerous! The chemicals used to make it are highly flammable and are unstable when mixed and manipulated to make the drug. I know the TV show Breaking Bad made it look easy, but please leave the illegal drug making to the professionals. I would miss you all if you suddenly disappeared from following my story! =)


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **Recognizable characters do not belong to me.

Since someone asked and I'm feeling generous today...you all get a bonus chapter! Many of you were anxious to read the date, so here it is. I hope I don't disappoint. =)

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**Chapter 8**

**LPOV**

I knew from the moment I met Stephanie Plum that she was special. There was just something about her that told me that she was one of a kind and I was right. She was amazing and she saved my life that day. I spent years in the Army and Special Forces being trained to be the best, but my instincts couldn't compete with hers. I was hesitant to trust her when she first said that something was wrong, but when I looked in her eyes and heard the terror in her voice; I knew she was spot on and that we needed to get the hell out of there. My instincts didn't give any indication that there was trouble.

The moment the house exploded, I knew that had I gotten out of the SUV and walked up to that door, I would have died. The explosion was so big that there would have been no hope for either of us. Stephanie, my Beautiful, saved our lives.

After she hopped out of the SUV at the office, I rushed to my apartment at RangeMan to change. I knew I would catch hell when I got to the building, but I hoped at least the guys would give me time to get ready before starting. My hopes were crushed when the elevator sped past the fourth floor, where my apartment was, and stopped on the command center floor. The doors opened to a large group of black clad men.

"Santos, what's this I hear about you taking yourself out of the game? The ladies are going to be oh so sad to see you go!" Binkie was smiling like a fool. He was my wing man and we had spent many nights trolling bars and picking up women together, but he was going to have to find someone else to fly with. My trolling days were over.

"Surely, the legendary Lester Santos isn't serious about this girl. Let me guess, Les, she demanded a second date to get into her pants? You're going to dump her tonight, right?" Junior laughed and wagged his eyebrows at me. I refused to tell them anything about Stephanie. I simply stood in the elevator with a mean look on my face. I knew I just had to take the razzing.

"Wait, wait, wait..." Zero spoke up from the back of the group. "Since you're strapping yourself to this woman, can I have your black book?" My book was legendary. I would never give out the numbers of the woman inside of it, but the guys did hear most of the details about each date. I was a player, what did you expect?

"No one's getting my book. You guys aren't getting paid to bust my balls, so why don't you get back to work?" I finally had enough. I glanced at my watch and knew I needed to get downstairs to get ready.

"Awww...come on Santos. We just can't believe that you're hanging up your boots. This girl must be some nice piece of ass for you to hit it twice." Zip pushed it too far. Something about what he said pissed me off and I sprang off the elevator, grabbed him by the neck and pushed him into the nearest wall.

"I don't give a fuck what you think. You will never talk about Stephanie that way again. Got it, Asshole?" The room was deathly quiet and the look on Zip's face was priceless. I was usually an easy-going guy and I rarely got mad or upset. But if or when you did do something that pissed me off; you better hope that I don't catch you because I can kill you in one second using only two fingers.

"Dude, I was just joking. I didn't mean any disrespect." The other guys were trying to pull me off of my coworker, but I wasn't letting go. I wanted to beat the shit out of him and was about to when another voice stopped me.

"Santos!" Ranger's bark from across the floor snapped me out of my rage. "My office, now. Zip, mats in an hour." I smirked at Zip and let go of his throat. I pushed my way through the group of guys and walked into my cousin's office.

He was sitting behind his desk looking cool, calm, and collected. Just like normal. I wish I had his control, but it's not something that I was ever able to fully grasp. I closed the door and took a seat in front of his desk.

"Want to tell me what that was all about?" Ranger steepled his fingers in front of him and looked at me intently.

"Just a misunderstanding with Zip. He thought he had the right to disrespect my relationship with Steph." I knew I couldn't lie to him or try to hide anything. Ranger knows all and sees all.

"You realize that they have every right to question this. You haven't been a choir boy for many years. People don't just change overnight like that." I could hear the concern in his voice. Ranger's always been like a big brother to me. "Are you sure you know what you're doing with her? She's not like your normal girls. You will break her heart if you lead her on and then leave her."

I was honestly shocked that Ranger said so much. He wasn't one to interfere in our personal lives and he wasn't one to even care whose heart I broke. Hell, he'd been right beside me picking up women in the clubs. He was just like me, fuck em and leave em.

"I know what I'm doing. I really like this one and I think she's the one that I've been waiting for. The playboy wasn't who I really am, you of all people know that. It was an act that I don't want to play anymore. Stephanie is different and I think I could fall in love with her." I hated admitting that to Ranger. I thought it made me weak telling him that I was falling or could fall for her.

He didn't say anything for several minutes. He just stared at me with his ever assessing eyes. Ranger has always been in control of his emotions. He rarely let how he was feeling show on his face, but this time I caught a glimpse of disappointment.

"I can understand your desire to change and I'm glad you found someone who you think will make you happy. From the moment I met her, I saw the same thing you did." There was that look of disappointment again. I wondered if he was upset that he let me meet her first.

"You're looking a little disappointed, Primo. Are you regretting your decision to let me handle the meeting with her yesterday?" He looked shocked that I noticed, but his smile broke through.

"Maybe a little jealous, but you don't have to worry about me. You know that my life doesn't lend itself to relationships, so there's no way that I could give her what you can. You're the better man for her and I'm happy for you." I was once again shocked. I had never heard Ranger talk about a woman that way. "If I was ready for a relationship, you would have some competition, because Stephanie is one special woman." I knew he was joking so I laughed.

"I know she is, that's why I don't want to fuck this up. I don't know how much or what to tell her about my past. I want to be honest, but don't want to scare her off." Ranger nodded in understanding.

"Tell her the truth right up front. If she's as amazing as we both believe then nothing you say will scare her away. If she's somehow fooled us both, then at least she'll let you know before you get too far involved." That logic made sense. I smiled to myself because I honestly doubted I could tell her anything that would make her run.

"How is she at bounty hunting? She doesn't look big enough to be any good." Ranger asked with a smile on his face. That was the understatement of the century.

"She has killer instincts and connections in the whole town, but her take down skill is way terrible. She needs a hell of a lot of training, but I think I can get her to where she'll be good." Ranger nodded and looked like he was going to say something else when I glanced at my watch and jumped up.

"Fuck. I only have half an hour before I need to pick her up. I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow morning at 0500." He smiled and shook his head.

"Make it 0900. You might need some time to recuperate in the morning." I smiled at him and nodded in agreement.

"0900 it is. Thanks, Ranger." I walked out of his office before he could comment and rushed down the stairs to my apartment.

Being in the Army helped me with speed showers and dressing. Being able to complete everything in seven minutes helped me on nights like this. I was clean, dressed and ready to go in plenty of time. I even had time to stop at a local florist to get my Beautiful some flowers.

Making sure I had everything, I locked my door and headed to the stairs. I wasn't about to get stuck in the stupid elevator again. My Mustang was waiting for me freshly washed and waxed, so I hopped in and pointed it in the direction of the flower shop. I was ready to start our date.

**SPOV**

GAH! I couldn't believe that I only had an hour to get ready for my first real date with Lester! I am a Jersey girl; we need at least two hours to look presentable! It was a good thing that I picked out my outfit before I ever got home. I had bought a flutter sleeve dress from Victoria's Secret right before I lost my job and I'd never had the chance to wear it. It was coconut milk colored with a wrap waist and a deep V neckline. My cleavage would need some help, but that's what the Wonder Bra was for. I had the perfect shoes to go with the dress, too. They were strappy with five-inch heels and they made my legs look never-ending. I just knew I was going to blow Les' socks off.

When I got home, I did my best to hurry through my shower. I made sure to shave and wax all the important bits and took time to deep condition my hair. What's the point of dressing sexy if my hair was a disaster?

After my shower, I dressed and fixed my hair into an updo that looked sexy with a few long curls left down around my face. My make-up was light and I had just swiped on my last coat of mascara when I heard the knock at my door. With one more glance in the mirror, I went out to greet my date.

I opened the door and judging by the look on Les' face, I hit sexy as hell right on the head. His mouth dropped open and his eyes dilated to dark green. Of course, my reaction to him was just as obvious.

He was wearing black dress pants that hugged his muscular legs and I noticed the crotch getting a little tighter. I tried to suppress a giggle, but wasn't sure I succeeded. He also wore a cream-colored dress shirt that matched my dress perfectly and stood out in stark contrast to his dark skin. He looked good enough to eat and my panties were instantly ruined.

"Damn, Beautiful, you look amazing!" Les walked through my door and kissed me on the cheek. I was stunned when he pulled a bouquet of flowers out from behind his back and presented them to me. They were gorgeous and a kind of flower that I'd never seen before.

"Oh my God. These are beautiful. What kind of flowers are they?" I took the bouquet and went to the kitchen to find a vase for them.

"They are Camellia and Passion flowers. I told the florist that I wanted a bouquet that said perfection and passion and that's what I got." Les stood and watched me fill the vase with water and place the flowers into it. Perfection and passion, hmmm...that sounded nice.

"Passion I can see..." I stalked toward him and kissed him on his oh so sensual lips. "...but perfection?" He raised one eyebrow and kissed me again.

He ran his finger down my face as he whispered into my ear. "You, my Dear, are beyond perfection. There isn't a flower that means fucking magnificent, so I had to settle for perfection." I shuddered as I felt his hot breath on my face and my heart skipped a beat at his tender words.

We stood a few minutes close together, letting the tension build between us. Neither of us moved for fear of giving in to our desires and missing our reservation. As much as I wanted to strip Lester down and fuck him on my table (hmmm...idea for later), my stomach growling broke the mood and he pulled away and smiled at me.

"You all ready to go?" I nodded as I grabbed my purse and followed him out of the door. He escorted me down to his Mustang and helped me into the car. He kissed my lips as he buckled the seat belt over me and I was lost in a daze, so I didn't notice him close my door or get into the driver's side.

The drive to the restaurant was comfortably silent. My hand rested on Les' thigh and he took the opportunity in between shifting to run his fingers over the top of my hand. It was sensual and at the same time innocent. It was almost like he didn't even realize what he was doing.

The restaurant was crowded when we pulled up, but Les handed his keys to the valet and we walked right to the podium. It only took about two seconds of a conversation for the hostess to smile at Les and lead us back to our table. I could hear the groans from the people who'd been waiting.

The hostess showed us to an intimate, private table in the back of the restaurant. There were no other tables in the view of ours which surprised me. I slid into the booth and smiled when Les sat next to me instead of on the opposite side of the table. Sitting that close to Lester made me feel extremely sexy and a little naughty.

Les and I placed our order with the waitress; who, by the way, couldn't keep her eyes off my date. It wasn't until I loudly cleared my throat and glared at her that she even acknowledged I was there. I felt Les chuckle beside me when she walked away.

"Feeling a little jealous, Beautiful?" I felt his warm hand rest on my thigh under the table and the heat went from where he touched me, straight to my naughty place.

"I didn't like the way she was ogling you. You're mine and I don't like her looking." I should have filtered my words, but something about him touching me caused my mouth to move before thinking. Les smiled a full smile and I was awestruck at how unbelievably sexy he was. I couldn't really blame women for looking.

"I'm yours, huh?" He ran his finger down the deep neckline of my dress and I did my best to suppress the shudder, but I don't think it worked.

"Well, I mean...shit. I don't know..." I was stammering and stumbling all over my words. I heard Les chuckle.

"Relax, Steph, I'm yours just as much as you're mine." He brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed my palm. "And for the record, I don't like other men looking at you either." Other men, WHAT? No one was checking me out.

"You don't have to worry about that. No guy is looking at me." He looked taken aback for a second and then shook his head.

"You honestly think that?" I shrugged and looked away from him. I knew I felt attractive and Les made me feel sexy as hell, but I didn't think I was all that great looking. Average at best.

"Do me a favor. Go to the bathroom and casually look at the guys you walk by. I can guarantee you that each one of them will look at you like I am right now." I highly doubted what he was saying, but was willing to give it a try.

"Okay. Let me out and I'll prove you wrong." He helped me out of the booth and I walked towards the restroom. I tried my best not to look directly at the men sitting with their dates, but sometimes it was hard. Most of them followed me with eyes full of lust. Damn, it was a good dress.

I did my thing in the bathroom and walked back out toward my table. I passed three tables with the couples in heated arguments and all the women seated at them shot daggers at me as I walked by again.

Les was smiling the full smile when I got back to our table and stood when I approached.

"Did you prove me wrong? Or did you start some fights out there?" I rolled my eyes and slid into the booth.

"I guess this dress is good. I feel sorry for some of those guys." I heard Les sigh from beside me so I turned to look at him.

"Beautiful, it has nothing to do with the dress." I rolled my eyes and looked away. I just didn't agree with him. I felt his finger under my chin and let him turn my face toward his. The sincerity I saw in his eyes made my breath catch in my throat.

"You don't see what everyone else sees. You are beautiful and it's got nothing to do with the dress, although it is sexy as hell. You just radiate sexiness and allure." He gently kissed my blushing cheek. "And your beauty isn't all about what we see on the outside. You're beautiful on the inside, too. I know I only just met you, but I can see that you have such a loving soul. You're amazing Stephanie and I hope one day that you see what I do."

I felt the tear roll down my cheek, but Les plucked it off before it fell. He kissed me tenderly on the lips and then wiped another tear from my face.

"Don't cry, Beautiful. People will think that I'm a bad date." I laughed out loud and instantly felt better. I leaned into Les and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Lester. No one's made me feel so beautiful and desired for a very long time." I heard him grunt and he kissed the top of my head.

"Anytime. I'm not just blowing smoke up your ass either. I think you're sexy as hell and I will spend every day for the rest of my life proving that to you." My heart sped up thinking about spending the rest of my life with him.

Our dinners came shortly after my mini meltdown and we talked while we ate. The food was delicious, but nothing could compare to the man sitting next to me. I tried to keep my moaning under control, but think I failed because Les's hand squeezed my thigh a few times.

After we completed our dinner, we ordered dessert. As we waited, Les turned our playful conversation serious.

"Can I ask you a question, Beautiful?" I never liked conversation that started like that. They never ended well for me.

"You can ask me anything you want." I tried to hide the fear in my voice, but think I failed.

"The detective from earlier today, Joe Morrelli, I got the impression that you knew him. How did you get the nickname Cupcake?" Well hell, that subject was not a first date conversation but I decided Les had a right to know.

"Joe and I have known each other since we were kids. We have a long history that isn't necessarily a good one. When I was six and Joe was eight, we played a very adult version of the train game in his father's garage." Les raised an eyebrow and clenched his jaw together. "I was always curious about things and let's just say that Joe Morelli definitely piqued my interest at a young age." Les smiled and nodded for me to continue.

"I got the nickname when I was sixteen. I was working at the local bakery after school when Joe came in before closing. He talked me out of my pants and out of my virginity. It was totally consensual, so don't go all crazy." I could see the tension relax slightly in him, but I knew once I finished this story that the tension would be back. "After the incident in the bakery, Joe wrote poems all over town before he left for the Navy. I never got to read them because they were all written in the men's restrooms, but they were about me being just like a cupcake. Soft and sweet and so yummy to eat. He also had some crude slang about my cream filling. Since that day, he's called me Cupcake. I don't necessarily like it, but not much I can do to make him stop."

Les growled and then spoke in a low, cold voice. "That stupid motherfucker, I'm going to kill him the next time I see him. I'm sorry he was such an ass to you, Beautiful."

"It's not your fault. He wasn't the first or the last guy to treat me like shit. I learned to expect shit when it comes to men." Les looked like he was thinking about what I said. I sighed heavy and thanked God that our dessert came right after that. I needed a distraction from thinking about Morelli and the other dicks in my life.

I dug into my cheesecake and moaned when it's creaminess met my tongue. I noticed that Les was watching me intently and not eating his dessert. His eyes were dark and the look on his face made me think he wanted to eat me for dessert.

"Les?" I rubbed my hand up his leg and stopped when his hand dropped on mine. His eyes darkened and he guided my hand up his leg further and stopped when it met his throbbing erection. My breath caught in my throat as he leaned in to whisper in my ear.

"I'm just thinking about your cream filling. I know how delicious you are and this dessert has nothing on you, Gorgeous." He licked the shell of my ear and sent another shudder through me. "Let's get out of here. I think we both could use a little more privacy." Feeling his breath on my neck sent heat straight to my core and I felt my panties moisten. I probably would have let him take me right there on the table.

Either I was really transparent or Les had amazing ESP, because he whispered in my ear again. "Trust me, Beautiful, I want to take you right here on this table, but I want to be able to come back here in the future." Les didn't even wait for the bill. He threw some hundreds down on the table and pulled me out of the booth and guided me out of the restaurant. I had to laugh because he made damn sure to stay directly behind me. I guess his little problem wasn't quite so unnoticeable.

He handed the valet the ticket and pulled me into a passionate kiss when the attendant left to get the car. His mouth met mine and my lips immediately parted so I could taste him. Our tongues stroked each other's and I could feel his bulge pressing into my stomach. It was hot and throbbing and had to be painful for him. Les' hands were all over me. Stoking the fire burning between my legs. My panties were beyond soaked and I felt like I was going to combust any second.

The clearing of the valet's throat broke us from our embrace and one glance at the young kid proved that we put on quite a show. His pants looked a little uncomfortable too. I giggled when I sat in the car and Les smiled knowingly at me. He handed the valet a wad of cash and wiggled his eyebrows at him. The poor kid looked like he was about to faint.

Les angled into the car and before I knew it, we were speeding towards my apartment. I was still humming from the kiss and I could see that Les was still excited too. I decided to play a little game with him. I slowly bent over the middle console and positioned my face over his erection. I rubbed him though his pants and heard him groan with pleasure.

"If you can get us to my apartment before I make you cum, then you can do anything you want to me tonight." I heard Les growl and felt the car accelerate. I knew I needed to get busy if I was going to win my challenge.

I unbuttoned his pants and slowly slid the zipper down exposing his gorgeous cock. It was huge and throbbing and I knew this was going to be easy. He was ready to blow and I hadn't even put my lips on him yet.

I gently stroked his balls through his pants and brought my lips to his head. I licked off the pre-cum that had gathered and took him fully into my mouth. There was no time for teasing. I needed to make him cum fast, so I started my assault and sucked him for all I was worth. His breaths became shallow and I knew he was holding onto his control by a thread. I had to compliment his control though, he lasted longer than I thought he would. I knew to win, I had to unleash the secret weapon.

Relaxing my throat, I and took him fully into my mouth. His cock was partially down my throat and I used my muscles to swallow him. I had no gag reflex, it was a gift and a curse.

"FUCK. Beautiful, that's not fair." I continued to swallow his dick and he began to slowly pump his hips.

I pulled his dick out to laugh and started the process again. This time I moved my hand to pluck at his balls and that was enough to send him over the edge.

He pulled into my parking lot and parked as he shot his hot cum down my throat. He tasted so tangy and salty. I loved his taste, so I was sure to lick every drop from him.

He mumbled incoherently in Spanish and stroked my head as I cleaned him up. When he was all clean, I tucked him back into his pants and re-buttoned and re-zipped him up. I sat back in my seat and smiled seductively at him.

"I think we need to call this a tie, Sexy. But, since I like you, I'll give you an hour to do whatever you want to me." Les groaned and pulled me across the console into his lap. His lips crashed down on mine and my already soaked panties got another flood of moisture.

"Oh no, Beautiful. You're mine...all night long." I didn't have the strength to argue with him so I simply nodded and rubbed my aching center on his growing erection. I needed to cum and I needed him to help me.

"Take me upstairs and make me yours, Lester." I huskily breathed in his ear and that was enough to catapult him into action. Before I knew it, we were out of the car and inside my apartment. The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know...that the night was going to be good.

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**PSA #7 - **We've already discussed the dangers of driving while distracted and apparently driving while getting a blow job is extremely difficult. Surprising your spouse or b/f with this type of behavior has the potential to cause a serious accident so be careful when initiating this type of play. Also, with your head in his lap...it's difficult for him to shift gears so this type of activity is better suited for automatic transmissions. Being pinched by the gearshift is super distracting and really kind of hurts. =)


	9. Chapter 9

**Discalimer: **Still not mine.

Thank you all for the reviews from chapters 7 and 8. I'm slacking and didn't get to respond to them individually, but I'm thanking you all right now. They are more than I ever imagined and I truly love reading each one.

So this chapter is pretty much all smut...lol. Our couple couldn't wait any longer. Hope you enjoy.

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**Chapter 9**

**LPOV**

Stephanie Plum was going to be the death of me. She had no idea the effect that she had on me. I found it shocking as hell that she thought she was just average. She was sexy as sin, beautiful inside and out, a hell cat in bed, AND she was funny as hell. She was the perfect woman in my eyes and I hoped I could make her understand that someday.

When she told me about her past with the dickhead Morelli, I wanted to drive to the TPD and beat his face in. I couldn't believe he treated her like that. From the sound of it, all the men in her life had treated her like crap and that was just wrong. I hadn't been an angel when it came to women, but I never made any of them feel bad about themselves. I had a bad feeling that Morelli wasn't even the worst one from her past. Steph hinted a few times at a college boyfriend who truly broke her heart. I knew that I needed to ask her about him, but that was going to have to wait. There was no way to have a conversation with her while her mouth was on my dick.

When she threw down the challenge, I knew I had to win. A whole night of doing whatever I wanted to her, can you say HELL TO THE YEAH! My mind filled with all the things that I could do as I sped toward her apartment. I was sure she thought she had the upper hand, but she didn't know that I was a master of control and I can hold back against almost anything, except Stephanie deep-throating me.

I'd never met a woman who could swallow me whole, but she did. I almost lost it right then and there, but miraculously I held it together. The last quarter-mile was sheer torture. The second I pulled into her parking lot, I let myself release down her throat. That was probably the most intense orgasm I'd ever had from a blow job. Did I say, already, that she was going to be the death of me?

"I think we need to call this a tie, Sexy. But, since I like you, I'll give you an hour to do whatever you want to me." I couldn't hold back the groan, but I wasn't going to settle for an hour. I pulled her into my lap and kissed her stupid. I could feel the wetness seep through her panties and my pants.

"Oh no, Beautiful. You're mine...all night long." I ground my growing erection into her wetness between each word and I felt her control snap. I knew I had her. She needed me too bad to say no. Not that I thought she was going to.

"Take me upstairs and make me yours, Lester." That one phrase snapped my control and before I knew it, I had her upstairs and inside her apartment. I wasn't really sure I locked my car, but right then, I didn't even care.

When I finally got her into her bedroom, I slowly let her slide down my body and let her feel every hard inch of me. She shuddered when she brushed against my throbbing erection. I was ready to go even after being sucked dry in the car. That was what Stephanie did to me.

I very slowly unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. There she stood in a barely there bra and thong and my dick got even harder. I honestly didn't think that was possible. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself because I intended to feast on her before he got to play.

My lips met hers in a soft, gentle kiss and I could feel her start to shake in my arms. I knew her first orgasm was going to come fast. I traced my tongue around her lips and moaned when she opened her mouth and stroked my tongue with hers. She tasted like heaven and I didn't want to stop devouring her mouth, but I knew she wanted more.

I slowly trailed my tongue across her jaw and down her neck, only stopping to suck on her pulse point marking her with my brand. Her breathing was erratic and shallow and her moans were driving me crazy. My tongue traced the strap of her bra down her shoulder and chest and around the swell of her breast. I reached around and expertly unclasped the clasp and let the bra fall to the floor with her dress. My tongue went directly to her tight nipple and drew lazy circles around the nub. Her hands fisted in my hair trying to get me to go where she wanted, but I wasn't going to allow that.

"Oh no, my sexy woman. You said tonight was all about what I wanted to do." I heard her groan and I chuckled. "Can you be good or do I need to get my handcuffs?" I heard her breath catch and another soulful moan escaped her lips.

"I'll try to be good Baby, just please hurry and make me cum. I'm dying here." I chuckled again and focused my attention back on her beautiful breasts. My tongue traced around one nipple again as my hand massaged the other breast with expert care. Stephanie was moaning with her head thrown back and I knew she was close. I wanted nothing more than to see her cum. It was a growing obsession of mine.

At the same time, I brought my mouth over one nipple and bit gently as I pinched the other between my fingers. That was enough to send her over and she screamed my name as she came. God she was beautiful like that and I realized that wanted to see it again, so I continued sucking and plucking her nipples as she came down from her high and felt her knees give out. Luckily I was able to grab her around the waist and lay her back on the bed. Her face was flushed a gorgeous pink color, her eyes were heavily lidded with desire and her breaths were shallow.

I lowered my body on top of hers and kissed her swollen lips before moving south once again. I stopped at each breast and kissed each nipple before continuing my decent. I had another destination in mind and I didn't want to get distracted with the northern peaks.

When I reached the apex of her legs and saw the soaked state of her panties, my hunger for her grew. I wanted to go slow and tease her, but that plan was shot all to hell the second I smelled her arousal. I had to taste her again.

In one swift tug, I tore her thong from her body and attacked her swollen lips. She screamed out in surprise when my tongue dove deep into her hot wet heat. I licked her from top to bottom and didn't allow one drop of her sweetness to escape my lips. She tasted too good to waste. Her moans and panting urged me to continue. I slowly pushed a finger into her tight confines and began pumping slowly as I nipped and licked her clit. I could tell by her breathing that she was close to coming again and I wanted to taste her when she did. I added two more fingers and upped the speed of my tongue on her. She was moaning and grinding herself on my fingers and face.

"Please make me cum, Baby." Her whispered plea was enough for me to speed up the process. I didn't want to make her wait any longer. Curling my fingers inside of her, I found that certain spot and it only took two brushes over it for me to feel her walls clenching my fingers painfully. I bit down on her clit and felt her orgasm even harder. Her legs clamped my head like a vice as she screamed my name. It was music to my ears.

I removed my fingers and stuck my tongue inside so I could taste every drop of her. That sent her into another orgasm and I got a fresh gush of her warm juices. I might have hated Joe Morelli, but he was right. She was delicious to eat.

Gently stroking her with my tongue, I allowed her to come down again. I heard her whimper when I finally pulled back and stood up. My not so little soldier had been ignored for long enough and he was getting anxious to play, too.

Stephanie watched me as I slowly removed my clothes. I knew that I was a good-looking guy, but she saw beyond my looks. Her eyes could see directly into my soul and I could tell that she liked what she saw.

When my clothes were gone, I slowly lowered myself over her and began kissing her softly. I could feel her moisture on my throbbing cock, but I wasn't ready to enter her just yet. I needed to ask an important question first.

Pulling back, I whispered, "Do I need something, Beautiful?" I usually never asked. I always wore a condom when I slept with a woman. It was a rule at RangeMan, but there was something about Stephanie that made me not want to put one on. I wanted to feel her around me and I wanted her to feel the real me. I hoped she understood what I was asking.

"You'll need something if we don't want a baby. I'm not on birth control. There was no point." I understood. She's been ignored for far too long and I was going to remedy that. I was a little disappointed that I had to use a condom, but I wasn't willing to risk a baby. It was only our first real date.

I tried to hide the disappointed look from my face, but I guess she caught it because she gently kissed my lips and whispered in my ear.

"I'll go to my doctor first thing tomorrow and get the shot. Tonight will be the only time you have to use one of those." She smiled at me and I kissed her with all the pent-up passion that I had held back. I needed to be inside her immediately.

I unwrapped the condom and slid it onto my erection. Positioning myself at her wet opening, I looked deep into her eyes as I slid inside. God she was so tight and hot. Her eyes held mine as I slowly entered her fully. It wasn't until my hips met hers and I was fully encased inside her that her eyes rolled back in her head and closed. The moans that escaped from both of us were long and low.

Since it had been so long for her, I paused to let her adjust to my size, but I guess I waited a few minutes too long because she began to move her hips against me. I knew she wanted me to move so I gave her exactly what she wanted. I started slow and kept my strokes long. I pulled almost all the way out and then slowly slid back home. The feeling was amazing and I was holding on to my control by a thread.

Stephanie wrapped her long legs around my waist and angled her hips up so I could go deeper. With that one action, my control was gone. I needed to fuck her hard and fast, but I didn't want to scare her. She sensed my dilemma and solved my problem for me.

"Fuck me Les, fuck me hard and fuck me fast." She looked in my eyes as she spoke and I saw her need and desire.

I started fucking her fast and hard. My cock was pounding in and out of her with wild abandonment. Her moans and whimpers were driving me absolutely crazy.

"You feel so fucking good, Stephanie." I kissed her lips and moved my mouth to her breasts as I fucked her. I could feel my release coming and my balls getting tighter but I wanted to cum with my woman. "You're so fucking hot. Are you going to cum with me, Beautiful?" I wasn't usually one for talking dirty during sex, but it just felt right with her. I moved my hand to where we were joined and started rubbing her clit in rhythm with my cock.

"God Les you feel so good too...I'm going to cum, Baby don't stop..." I felt her inner walls clench down on my dick like a vise grip and heard her scream my name as she came around me. That was all it took to send me over the edge. My orgasm hit me hard and I growled as I spilled my seed. Her walls milked every ounce of cum from me as I slowly continued to stroke in and out of her. We were both covered in a sheen of sweat and our breathing was shallow and erratic. I collapsed on top of her but only for a second. I didn't want to hurt her.

I pulled my very satisfied cock out of her and rolled onto my back beside her. She immediately turned to her side and curled up next to me, her head resting right over my heart. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her even closer to me.

Neither of us spoke for several minutes. I'm not sure what her excuse was, but I was doing everything in my power to control my heart rate. That was the single best sexual experience of my life. I've had a lot of sex with a lot of women, but sex with Stephanie was different. It was unbelievable. Usually by that point in the night, I was up and dressed walking out the door. There was no way I could move after that. There was no way in hell that I was going to leave her bed. I thought Steph had gone to sleep because she was so quiet, but her voice broke the silence of the room.

"Holy shit, that was amazing! I don't ever remember it being that good." I chuckled because I was thinking the exact same thing.

"I fully agree. You're amazing too, Steph." I kissed her head and felt her snuggle closer.

She was fully relaxed and I kept my hand moving up and down her spine. I got purrs of contentment for my efforts making me chuckle again. She lifted her head to look at me with a smirk on her face.

"What are you laughing at, Chuckles? I'm part cat so I get to purr when you stroke me." She reached up and kissed my jaw. We both felt my cock twitch in excitement and she glanced down to where he was already starting to stand at attention.

"Looks like you haven't had enough yet. I seem to recall you saying you were the maestro." Steph sat up and straddled my waist. I could feel her wetness on my growing cock and so help me, I wanted her all over again. She leaned down and kissed the shell of my ear before whispering into it. "Teach me, Master." FUCK! Instantly I was rock hard and ready to blow.

**SPOV**

I knew better than to poke the sleeping dragon, but so help me I wanted him again. I knew why he was laughing, but I took that opportunity to play stupid and flirt a little. When I felt his cock twitch, I knew I could have him anytime I wanted.

The first experience was amazing. I have never in my life had such an intense orgasm. Not with Mark and not with Dickie. It was beyond anything that I'd ever experienced before and I wanted it again.

When I sat up and straddled his waist, I intended to take control and tease him a bit, but my words snapped something in him and I found myself instantly on my back.

Les' mouth was exploring mine and his hands were stoking fires as they caressed my breasts. I wanted him inside me and I kept raising my hips to take his cock inside. He kept pulling away and it was driving me crazy.

"I need to take care of something first, Beautiful. Give me a second and I'll be inside you." I understood, then, that he had to change condoms before another go round. I felt embarrassed that I totally forgot about the necessary protection, but I wasn't ready for a baby.

In a matter of seconds, Les had removed the old condom and replaced it and was pushing inside me. He felt so damn good that I didn't ever want him to leave. He paused when he was fully inside and tried to reign in his control. I could tell he wanted this time to go longer which was fine with me. I wouldn't demand for hard and fast like last time.

When he was ready, Les looked down at me and kissed me with such gentleness that tears sprang to my eyes. There was so much emotion behind that kiss that I was overwhelmed from its meaning. He started to move inside me and kissed the tears off my cheeks. I clung to him and allowed him to use my body any way he wanted as long as he never left.

The gentle kisses he reigned on my face and breasts were reverent and so full of tenderness. Who knew that such a passionate man could be tender as well? We spent what seemed like hours moving together in a lover's dance. Just when I thought I was ready to go over the edge, Les would back off his movements and let me come down a little before starting again.

His lips never left my body. They explored my entire face and breasts. His hands explored every part of my body and mine returned the favor. I felt every muscle and every ridge of his gorgeous body. He had an amazing body and I made sure to feel every inch of it I could reach.

When Les was finally ready to send us over the edge together, no words were spoken. He simply looked deep into my eyes and we both flew apart at the same time. I couldn't take my eyes off his as we both soared together in mutual bliss. It was an amazing experience.

When we came together, it wasn't with shouts or loud screams. It was with shudders that spoke volumes about the depth of our feelings for each other. We were sweating and panting. Our hearts were beating as one as we looked in each other's eyes. I have no clue what he saw in my eyes, but his held every ounce of his emotions.

I saw his desire and his love for me. Without him saying the words, I knew that he loved me and that he wasn't going anywhere any time soon. I hoped my eyes reflected my feelings toward him. I wasn't ready to speak them out loud but I knew that I loved him, too.

After getting our breathing under control and our heartbeats slowed, Les rested his forehead on mine and mumbled something in Spanish. I almost asked what he said, but thought maybe I wasn't ready to hear the words that he spoke.

He gently kissed my lips and rolled off of me. I immediately tucked myself into his side and promptly fell asleep. I knew something changed in our relationship that night, but I wasn't ready to admit it aloud. Yet I knew there was no way I was going to be able to live without him in my life.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you all so much for the review and fav/follows. I am slacking again with responding, but I wanted you to know that I love reading your thoughts on my story. You guys sure know how to make this girl feel special! Here's the next chapter and I hope you all enjoy!

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**Chapter 10**

**SPOV**

Waking up the next morning was a whole new experience for me. The times in my past that I'd spent a whole night with a guy, I always woke up alone on my side of the bed. I didn't like feeling trapped and usually that's how I felt in Dickie or Mark's arms. That morning, however, was different.

Les was still curled against me with his arm tucked around my waist and my head laying on his bicep. I felt secure and safe and never wanted to leave the security of his embrace. I knew there was nothing that could hurt me when I was in his arms. It was just too bad I couldn't stay there forever.

Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was still really early and wondered what had woke me up at the ungodly hour of crack-of-dawn. I was never one to get up before the sun, so I knew something had to have penetrated my sleep to arouse me. I wiggled a little and realized what that something was. It was stiff and poking me in the butt. There was no way to stifle my giggle and I couldn't help but grinding back against him. I heard him curse and groan which made me giggle again. I thought maybe I should wake him up like I wanted to the day before, but his gruff voice interrupted that thought.

"Good morning, Beautiful." It was too late for my wake up plan, so I tucked it away for another morning.

"Good morning, Sexy." I purred. Turning in his arms, I kissed his lips and smiled at him. "What time do you need to leave for work?" I didn't want him to miss something important two days in a row.

"I should leave in about an hour or so." He kissed my shoulder and moved his body over mine. I guessed that meant we had some time to play.

"There's always time to play, Beautiful." With that, he kissed down my arm and over to my taught nipples. You would think that I would have been satisfied from the night before, but that wasn't the case. I wanted more. I wanted everything Les would give to me.

Les spent that hour loving me just as he'd done the night before. He used his fingers and tongue to wind me up tighter than I've ever been and then proceeded to pound into me like there was no tomorrow to help me get my release. He made me orgasm three times before joining me in a climax that I swear made the ground shake. I think he felt it too, because of the look on his face when we finally found our breath was one of total shock.

I couldn't hold back the giggle. "You look a little shocked there, Maestro." He smiled down at me and kissed me, hard.

"You have no idea, Steph. I've never in my life experienced anything like the past twelve hours." He kissed me again and rolled off of me to get up. I watched him stroll naked, and unashamed, to my bathroom. He spent a few minutes cleaning up the best he could and then came out to get dressed. I got to watch him take his clothes off the night before and then put them back on. I have to admit, I like the taking off better.

Once he was dressed, he sat back down on the bed with me. "What are your plans today?" I really didn't have any. I needed to cash my checks and drop into the bonds office to see if Connie had any more files for me, but that was all.

"I guess I need to get more files from Connie and stop by the bank. What about you?" I was trying to remember if he said he had another day with me or not. I didn't want to assume anything, but would love for him to help me again.

"I've got a meeting with Ranger at 0900 and then I'm yours the rest of the day. Grab your files from Connie and I'll meet you at the office around 1000. I'll see if I can take you to RangeMan to introduce you to the research programs and then we'll stop in the gun range for some target practice." I grimaced. I hated guns and had no desire to even touch mine. Les caught the grimace and must have read my look perfectly because he took my face in between his warm hands and kissed me tenderly before pleading at me with his eyes and his words. "Please tell me that you'll always carry your gun with you. I just found you and I don't want to lose you too soon."

The look on his face just about broke my heart. I didn't want to think about losing him, so I knew he was truly concerned for my safety. A lump formed in my throat hindering my speech, so I nodded slowly. I decided I could carry my gun and learn how to shoot it if that meant he wouldn't worry about me.

Les let out a thankful sigh and kissed me gently again. "Thank you, I don't think Ranger will have a problem with you coming to the office so plan on spending the afternoon there. We'll research your skips and then maybe go out and pick them up after target practice. Sound good?" Sounded fine to me. I got to spend time with Les, so it was all good in my hood.

"Sounds perfect." He kissed me one last time and then stood to leave. "Have a good meeting with the Boss Man, Sexy." I giggled when Les' step faltered. I assumed he wasn't looking forward to meeting Ranger that morning. He turned and gave me a killer smile before leaving my bedroom. I listened and smiled as I heard the apartment door open and close and then the locks tumble locked. I wondered if he stole a key or if he was just magic. I already knew the answer to that question though. After the night we had together, I knew that he was magic.

I lounged in bed a few more minutes before finally getting up and getting ready for my day. I was, maybe, going to meet all of Les' coworkers and friends so I wanted to look good. I showered and dressed in what I assumed was a good working outfit. Blue jeans and a tight black v-neck t-shirt, I laced up my tennis shoes, threw my hair back into a ponytail and was ready to go. It looked hot outside so I refused to wear make-up. Well, maybe a coat or two of mascara, but that was it. I hated when it was hot and the crap melts on your face.

My POS was waiting for me in the parking lot when I got down stairs. I was half hoping someone stole it in the middle of the night, but looking at the car I realized how silly that was. No one in their right mind would purposefully steal my car. If the pussy didn't deter them then the penis artwork would. Sighing, I got into my car and made my way to the bonds office sweating the entire way. I prayed Vinnie had the air on in the office, so I could cool off. Luckily for me he did and the blast of cool air that greeted me as I opened the door felt amazing against my heated skin. Connie sat behind her desk smiling and looking cool, calm, and collected. I looked the exact opposite of those things, but didn't care.

"Hey Steph. How did it go yesterday?" Her knowing smile suggested that she was asking about my date, but I refused to divulge that information, so I told her about the skip blowing himself up. She had already heard part of the story from the Burg grapevine, but they left out the part about the guy being in a shaggy dog costume. We both laughed for a few minutes about the weirdness of the situation and then felt bad when we realized that the guy was dead. After a few quiet minutes, I decided to find out who my next victim was.

"You got anything new for me today?" I didn't really need money since my rent was taken care of, but I hoped she had another big skip, so I could maybe get a new car and some groceries. Her frown told me I was out of luck.

"Just one, sorry, it's been slow." She handed me a file and I opened it up to read.

Brian Holmes, age thirty-nine, arrested for assault and attempted rape. He picked up a girl in a bar and when she said no to his advances, he knocked her out before dragging her into the ally to rape her. Luckily, an off duty officer was walking by and stopped him before he was able to complete his task. Brian didn't look like a very nice guy in his mug shot and I was suddenly very glad Les was going with me to pick him up.

I studied the file while Connie filed her nails and we occasionally talked about old classmates and my new skip. We both glanced at the door when we heard the bell chime. I smiled as Les walked in, immediately picked me up off the couch and kissed me hungrily. His tongue traced my lips and I moaned as I opened my mouth for him. A clearing throat broke up our 'hello' kiss.

Connie was smiling at us and Ranger was smirking with one eyebrow raised. Shit, I didn't see him come in behind Les. I felt my face burn hot and I buried my head in Les' chest. I felt him chuckle which only made me more embarrassed.

"Don't be embarrassed, Beautiful. They're just jealous." Les whispered in my ear and kissed my head.

I heard Ranger's voice before I could respond to Les. "You have any files for RangeMan?" Connie handed him a stack and told him that Vinnie wanted to talk to him about one of the guys. Ranger disappeared into the back office and Les pulled me onto his lap after sitting on the couch.

"Who you got, Beautiful?" He took the file from me and read through it quickly. I heard a low whistle. I guess he wasn't impressed with Brian either.

"What's your plan for capturing him?" Shit, I didn't know there was going to be a pop quiz.

"I was planning on going to his house and knocking on his door." I didn't have access to the search programs and had no other clue on how to find him if he's not at home. He wasn't local, so my contacts wouldn't work.

"Let's head to the office and do some searches on him. Ranger's agreed to allow you access to the garage and fifth floor so we can do some ground work on him. I doubt he'll be at home. He lives with his parents and they put up their house to post his bail. They would turn him in if he was there." That made sense to me. I didn't pick that up in the file, so I made a note to ask Les how he found that information so fast.

Ranger reappeared and Les and I stood off the couch. I smiled at Ranger when he stopped in front of us.

"Thank you for allowing me into your building and letting Les help me. I want to learn everything I can from him, so I can do this job." Ranger smiled a full smile at me. I felt the breath catch in my throat. He was gorgeous normally, but when he smiled...

"It's no problem, Babe. I'm glad that we're able to assist you." I smiled back at him and waved by to Connie as we all left the office.

I rode with Ranger and Les to their office. There was no way I was driving my car any more than necessary. The guys were silent on the drive and I didn't get the idea that they would like me breaking that silence, so I sat quietly in the back of the SUV and watched the passing scenery.

We pulled into the gated, underground garage of a black seven story building. There was nothing advertising what the business was so I guessed they were serious about their security. Les helped me out of the SUV and we all approached the elevator, before it opened Les decided to warn me about what to expect upstairs.

"Beautiful, before we go up I need to warn you about the guys." I probably should have been worried, but I trusted Les and Ranger. "We've never had a woman in this building except Ella, the housekeeper. Most of the guys that work here are ex-military or ex-cons and don't have a whole lot of experience dealing with the public. You might say that we're socially stupid." I found that hard to believe and furrowed my brow.

I didn't really know what to say to that, so I just nodded my head and stepped onto the elevator when the doors finally opened. Ranger was standing behind me smirking and Les looked almost sick. When the doors opened, on what I assumed was the fifth floor, I wasn't ready for the sight that I saw.

Gathered around hallway in front of the elevator were about twenty-five good-looking, muscle-bound men dressed in all black. Good Lord, is drop dead sexy a mandatory requirement on the application to work here? Les and Ranger stopped dead in their tracks and started laughing along with every one of the guys in the hallway. Leave it to me to embarrass myself to break the ice.

"Sorry, I seem to have a case of word vomit." The guys laughed again and approached us. I got to meet all the employees on duty. I couldn't remember all their names that first day because it was a lot of information all at once. I did recognize the few guys that I met the morning before. Tank and Bobby both came and said hello to me and I noticed Cal from across the office. He was on the phone, but waved at me when I met his gaze. I didn't see Hector, but Les told me he was the tech guy, so he was in the basement with his computers.

After I'd been introduced to everyone, Ranger ordered everyone back to work and the guys were back to their duties. Les led me down a hallway to an office with his name displayed on the door. I polished the silver plate with my sleeve and whistled. He gave me a Jersey worthy eye roll as he laughed and led me into his office.

Looking around, I was more than impressed. The furniture was high quality and fit the masculine feel of the office and it's very male occupant. There were two guest chairs in front of the large desk and a sitting area with a couch and love seat in one corner.

"I'm in charge of meeting with clients here and off site. I have a crap ton of appointments scheduled for the rest of the week, so I'm glad we're doing this today." I suddenly felt guilty for taking Les away from his normal job. I hated feeling like a burden to people. Les once again read my thoughts.

"You're not a burden, Beautiful. My schedule was clear today, so stop worrying about it. Besides, I would much rather spend my time with you. You're better looking than the clients that I have to deal with." His eyebrow wiggled and he smiled broadly at me. God, he looked sexy when he smiled like that. There's a couch here, so maybe...STOP it Plum. You need him to teach you search programs not screw you in his office.

A dark, lustful look came across his face and he started to walk toward me. Need a distraction fast or we'll be naked in a matter of seconds. I sidestepped his grasp and headed toward his desk.

"Oh no, Maestro, teach first and then we'll play after class." Les stopped dead in his tracks and shook his head. I guess he was removing the naughty thoughts. His leer turned into a smile and he walked toward me again, this time in control of himself.

Les plopped down in his office chair and pulled me into his lap, so I could see his computer with him.

"Okay, Beautiful, crash course in searches. Since we're a thriving security company owned by ex-military men, we have search programs that most civilians don't. I'll show you around the ones that you can buy access to, then I'll let you peak at the others. What's your skip's name?"

"Ummm...Brian Holmes." I flipped my file open to see how accurate the information was. Les entered the name in a search box, clicked a few options of information that we needed and sent the computer off to do its thing. He took the few minutes it took to gather the required information to thoroughly kiss my neck and ears. I almost forgot what I was there for when the computer dinged and the printer behind us started printing.

"Read over these and tell me what you find out. The most important part of doing a search on a skip is interpreting the information." Les spun around and grabbed the printed papers and handed them to me.

I spent several minutes reading the information. There was a whole lot more there than what came with the original file and I began to see patterns in the information.

"Les, are there rules about where or when we can pick up a skip?" I honestly didn't know and I thought I found out the best place to pick up my guy.

"It's open season on them once you get that file. What did you find out, Beautiful?" Les looked at me curiously.

"Looking at his credit card reports, it seems that he frequents the same bar every Wednesday around eight. I know this bar because I've been there at that exact same time, it's their speed dating night." Les looked shocked for a second and then chuckled. I rolled my eyes and went back to reading.

"You tried speed dating?" I turned around and glared at him.

"Once, and it was horrible. My friend Mary Lou made me go." I slapped his chest as he continued to chuckle. "None of the guys were even worth a second look and most of them just wanted to get into my pants."

"Their loss is my gain, Beautiful. I'm glad it didn't work out for you." Les squeezed me tight and then kissed the back of my neck. "So, what's your plan for apprehension?"

I thought about his question. I didn't want to cause a scene in a crowded bar. Innocent people might be injured if I did that, but I knew where he was going to be and when he was going to be there. I didn't want to lose that opportunity.

"I think I can wait for him outside the bar and pick him up before he goes inside. Or maybe I can fake car trouble in the parking lot and get him before he even gets close to the bar. I don't want to risk hurting people inside if I can avoid it." I turned and looked at Les who looked shocked. "What would the Maestro recommend?"

"I'm impressed. Most amateur BEA's would say ambush him inside the bar and be done with it, but you're using your head. RangeMan would either set up a distraction inside the bar or pick him up before he went inside the bar."

"What's a distraction?" I wasn't following.

"A distraction is when we use an attractive female as bait to lure the skip outside the public establishment, so we can apprehend him. She flirts and convinces the guy to follow her into our waiting hands." I wondered who they used for those distractions and if Les thought she was attractive. That would work normally I guess, but there was a flaw in that plan for this skip.

"That won't work for this skip." Les looked at me with one eye brow raised. "This is speed dating. The distraction wouldn't have the opportunity to talk to the skip one on one for longer than 3 minutes. I mean she might get his attention, but would have to wait until the long line of other guys spent time with her to try to lure him out. Plus she would have twenty-five to thirty other women vying for his attention. It would be an uphill battle." Les looked at me shocked once again.

"A distraction in the parking lot would be your best bet. Slut someone up and pop the hood of her car. The file says that Brian used to be a mechanic, so he might offer assistance and then we can grab him." Les was still speechless and had a shocked look on his face. I was either wayyyy off base or right on the money with my suggestion. His silence was making me nervous. "Or, I could just follow him to his house and pick him up when he got home. But I might lose him driving, or he might pick up the tail and run, risking other drivers." Les still looked shocked. "Damn it, Lester, say something because I'm kinda freaking out here." I was quickly heading towards my rhino mode. Les smiled at me and kissed me on my lips with a loud smack.

"I'm freaking impressed, Beautiful. You're thinking like a pro and it's only your second day!" He kissed me again and then continued to praise me. "If RangeMan had this file, we would have wasted time and money on the distraction at the bar. We would have been wrong. Your suggestion about the parking lot is a great idea. Again, I'm very impressed." It was my turn to be shocked after hearing his words. I was about to respond when Ranger walked into Les' office without knocking. I guess being the boss had its benefits.

"What's up, Boss Man?" Les didn't seem annoyed or put off by the interruption. He just held me tighter and nuzzled into my hair.

"Got a call from the FBI asking for help with a murderer. Word is, he's in Trenton or Newark. The other guys can't find anything suggesting that he would be anywhere near here, but the FBI's informant is strong. See what you can pull out of this file. You're the best I got and need your help. This would be a 3.5 million dollar payout for us." Ranger's blank face was in place as he tossed the file on the desk and sat in a chair across from us.

Les read through the information and then handed the file to me. "What do you see, Beautiful?" Ranger started to protest, but Les held up a hand to stop him. I heard him sit back into the chair and felt his eyes on me as I read through the skip's information.

Gregory Markowitz, age twenty-five, arrested for murder. He shot his wife and two kids and then burned the house down to get rid of the evidence. He was stupid enough to brag about what he did one night when he got drunk at the local bar. He ran before the cops could arrest him. He's killed four other people across the country.

He was born in Arizona and prefers warmer climates. His credit card showed use at numerous Indian Casino's before he stopped using it. It also showed that he enjoyed strip joints, classy guy. He use to be in the Navy and bragged that he was a Seal even though he never made it that far and was dishonorably discharged. He was quoted as saying the times of his life were with his shipmates.

Nothing in his file suggested that he had ties to New Jersey, so why would come here? I started looking for other information and finally saw what I'd been looking for.

Gregory's last job before the murders was as a volunteer fire fighter. I remembered hearing something in Pino's that would catch the guy's interest. The Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City was hosting a nationwide conference for volunteer fire fighters. Free room, food and even free chips to gamble for any volunteer firefighter who registered. I could guarantee that Gregory Markowitz was one of the registered participants.

"Send a list of all his aliases to the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City. If he's in New Jersey, then he'll be there tomorrow." Les and Ranger looked at me with one eyebrow each raised. I rolled my eyes. I needed to practice that look.

"Do you guys not listen to the radio?" The both shook their heads. "That hotel is hosting a huge conference for all volunteer firefighters nationwide. That was the skips last job before committing the murders. If he registered for the conference, which I know he did, then he gets free money to gamble with. He wouldn't pass up an opportunity like that." The guys were silent, so I rolled my eyes again and continued. "Your informant said he was here? Why? This is the only thing happening around here that he would have any interest in. Send the names and his picture. He's probably already there." Ranger grabbed the file and headed out of the office. He didn't look convinced or too happy about my findings. Maybe I was off, but what did they have to lose?

"How do you do that?" Les sounded amazed.

"Do what?" Piss off Ranger or read information?

"How did you pull that information together? I looked and didn't see anything pointing to any reason that he would be around this state."

"I just used the information in the file with the information I gathered from around town." I shrugged. It wasn't that big of a deal. "My spine tingled when I read he was a volunteer firefighter. I knew then that I was on the right track."

Les looked at me intently. "What do you mean your spine tingled?"

"I can't describe it any better. It's what I call my spidey sense. It's what told me that there was danger yesterday. It helps me sometimes." I shrugged again. I thought everyone had the same type of thing.

"You have amazing instincts, Beautiful, AND you know when to listen to them. You did in fifteen minutes what the rest of the guys couldn't do in days. If that skip is in that hotel, expect a job offer from Ranger." It was my turn to look shocked. Job offer? What the hell was he talking about?

"Ranger knows to grab something that's good before it gets away. He'll see what I see and he'll grab you." I shook my head. I highly doubted that I was good enough to work here.

"Let's go to the gun range and you can show me what you got. It will take a while for the information to come back from the hotel." I sighed. I guess my living in denial about having to use a gun had come to an end.

Les sensed my hesitation and pushed me up off his lap.

"Come on, Beautiful. Let the Maestro teach you how to shoot like a pro." I laughed as he grabbed my hand and led me out of his office. I wasn't looking forward to shooting, but the feeling of Les' hand around mine distracted me enough. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

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A/N - I know you all enjoy reading my PSAs but some chapters they just aren't necessary. I'm sure there will be more in future chapters, but for now...you're out of luck. =)


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Characters aren't mine and I make no money from my drabble.

I just want you all to know how truly amazing you are. Your reviews and kind words make me smile bigger than ever and I truly appreciate you taking the time to leave me some love. I'm so thrilled that you all are loving this story so much. It makes me feel good knowing that my countless hours in front of a computer have paid off.

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**Chapter 11**

**SPOV**

Les and I spent about an hour and a half in the gun range that day. He taught me how to properly take apart and reassemble the gun that I bought. He taught me proper loading and unloading and then proper shooting stances. The whole experience wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I wasn't Annie Oakley, but I wasn't a bad shot either. Les called me a natural, but I think he was just blowing smoke up my ass. I hit the target each time, but not always where I was aiming.

We were cleaning up our mess when the door to the range slammed open and an angry looking Ranger stepped in.

"Both of you, my office, now!" He walked out and I looked at Les. He shrugged his shoulders, but his face showed a small smirk.

After we'd finished cleaning up the shell casing and the rest of the gear, Les and I walked to Ranger's office. The door was closed, so Les knocked and entered when he heard the gruff command to 'come in'. I was shaking in my tennis shoes. What the hell did we do? It was like getting called to the principal's office.

"Sit." Another gruff command from the Boss Man, Les and I took seats across from the large desk and Ranger took a moment to stare at me. His eyes were assessing and I felt like running away, but I just sat there and let him inspect me.

"I had you checked out, Stephanie." Checked out? For what? "What I found out disturbs me." Shit, what did he find out? My speeding tickets were all paid, weren't they? The divorce from Dickie wasn't pleasant, but nothing uncommon nowadays.

"What did you find?" I tried to hide the tremble in my voice, but failed, miserably.

"I found that you're a civilian with instincts better than some of my highly trained men." Les raised an eyebrow at his boss and cousin but said nothing.

"I'm sorry that bothers you so much." I honestly didn't know what else to say. Ranger waved his hand in dismissal.

"I'm impressed." His eyes narrowed as he looked at me again and I had to squirm in my seat.

"I'm guessing you found your guy at the Borgata." Les chuckled from beside me and grabbed my hand. Just that simple gesture helped calm me.

"We did. The hotel confirmed that he's registered there and scheduled to attend the conference tomorrow. I sent a team to get him tonight." I wasn't surprised, but I was glad that they were getting their guy.

"How did you know he would be there?" I rolled my eyes. I just explained it to Les and now I had to explain it to the big boss. I told him about my thought process and about the information that I got from around town. He sat back in his chair, clearly impressed when I was finally finished. His next words shocked the ever-loving crap out of me.

"I want you to work for me." I laughed...out loud. And I'm not talking a little laugh. I'm talking hold your stomach to stop the pain, full-out laughing. Les and Ranger just stared at me.

After I'd finally gotten control of myself somewhat, I managed to stutter out, "You want me...second day bounty hunter who doesn't know what she's doing...to work for your highly successful security company. I'm not ex-military or an ex-con."

"No, I want you...Stephanie Plum, who found a wanted criminal in a matter of minutes and earned my company 3.5 million dollars. You did what agencies and security people across the country couldn't do. For being a civilian, you have remarkable instincts and beneficial contacts in the community. Your skills would be wasted just as a BEA." He was dead serious. My 'O' face made an appearance. When I didn't speak, Ranger continued. "I want you to work in our research department. You would do basically the same thing that you just did, searches on skips and people who we're hired to bring in. I know having you work here, we could increase our capture rate to 100%. With our search programs and your instincts and contacts, we could rule the bond enforcement in the area." I was still sitting shocked. Les started rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. I saw Ranger nod and in a second I got hauled out of my seat and placed in Les' lap.

"I warned you that this would happen. You're good, Steph, better than I am, and I'm the best." I looked at him with my lower lip between my teeth. I was working it for all I was worth. It was a nervous habit that I knew I needed to stop, but just couldn't right then. Les brought his finger up and pulled my lip out from my teeth and kissed the spot that I'd been chewing on seconds before.

Neither of them talked and instead let me gather my thoughts. Once I had, I looked at Les. "You honestly think that I'm good enough to work here?" It wasn't that I was looking for praise or anything. I truly wanted to know what he thought.

With a small smile, he answered. "Absolutely." There was no hesitation or doubt in his voice. I sat back and thought some more about the opportunity and came up with another question.

"What else would I be doing? I'm not sure I can stay chained to a desk all day." I looked at Ranger and saw a smile on his face.

"We would use you for surveillance shifts and distractions, once you have passed the fitness exam. We're not going to let you go into the field untrained." Distractions? Shit, I knew I wasn't attractive enough to do those.

"You said distractions require an attractive woman. I'm not sure I can get some guy I just met to follow me out of a bar." I was being truthful in that statement. I honestly didn't think I could do it, but when I looked at the guys I had to second guess my previous thoughts. Les looked beyond perplexed and Ranger was staring at me like I was the craziest person he'd ever met.

Lester was the first one to recover. "You are more than just attractive. You're down right sexy as hell and any guy would follow you anywhere." Les kissed my nose and looked deep into my eyes. I saw the truth behind what he was saying.

"You're far better looking than the last girl we used for a distraction. Jeanne Ellen is good in the field, but she's nowhere near as gorgeous as you." I melted into Les at his words. I didn't know who Jeanne Ellen was, but I doubted I was better looking. I didn't want to talk about it anymore, so I shut up.

"Trust me, Babe. You'll have the guys following you out in seconds. Les is right. Trust us." Ranger looked sincere too so I nodded and Ranger continued. "You would also be required to watch the monitors. Every employee takes a turn because it's the most dreaded job." That didn't sound too bad. How hard could it be to watch a bunch of little TVs?

"Now comes the bad part." Les chuckled and squeezed me gently.

"Bad part?" I squeaked and tried to raise my brow.

"All employees are required to spend at least 3 hours a week in the gun range and 5 hours a week in the gym. We'll set you up with a training program that you'll need to complete before you're able to work in the field. After that, gym time is on your own." Shit, I hated to exercise and guns. I secretly hoped the salary was too low so I could turn them down graciously.

"There are apartments on the fourth floor for employees to use. We have one open if you take the job and want to stay here." A new apartment would be nice, but then everyone would know when Les and I spent the night together. No thank you!

"That won't be necessary. I have my own apartment. I like my privacy." Ranger nodded and continued.

"Starting salary would be 85k a year. It would go up to 100k after probation and then you would get yearly raises after that. Benefits include health insurance, dental, 401k, and numerous other things that I can't even remember." Holy shit! I didn't even make close to the starting salary the entire time I worked for E.E. Martin.

"AND...the pièce de résistance! You would get to use a company SUV, so more penis mobile." Les chuckled from behind me. Be still my heart. A company SUV with air conditioning AND a graffiti free paint job.

"Sold!" Honestly, they had me at the salary. The SUV was just an added bonus. Ranger and Les both chuckled and Ranger picked up his phone and ordered someone into his office. Tank entered a few seconds later with a huge grin on his face and Bobby was right behind him.

"You said yes?" They both asked in unison.

"She said yes!" Les kissed me hard on the mouth and I laughed at the look on the guys' faces.

"How did you guys even know about the offer? He just said something about an hour ago." I looked at them curiously and waited for my answer.

"Ranger talked to us before he got you from the gun range. He was more than impressed with your skills so I had no choice but to be impressed too." Tank smiled at me. "Welcome to RangeMan, Little Girl."

"Thanks! I hope I don't disappoint you guys."

"Never going to happen, Boss Man and Les both vouched for your instincts and I saw that they saved my partner yesterday, so there's no way you can disappoint." It was Bobby's turn to offer his congratulations. "Welcome to RangeMan."

I smiled at him and bounced in Les lap. I was really excited, after all. Les grabbed my hips and held me still as he growled into my back. Oops. I felt the not so little soldier waking up.

"Sorry." I whispered behind me and tried to readjust myself.

"Just stop moving. You're killing me here." I giggled at Les' pained expression.

"So, when do I start?" I smiled at the men in the office with me.

"Sign that contract and be here Monday morning at 0600 for your physical evaluation." What the fuck?! 0600?

"You expect me to be awake and functioning at six o'clock in the freaking morning. What are you? Insane?" The guys all laughed and shook their heads.

"Not insane, just morning people. You'll get used to it." Bobby ruffled my hair. "Trust me. I'll have you loving mornings in no time." I highly doubted that would ever happen.

"Whatever." I let out a long sigh. I wanted the job and if that meant getting up at the ass crack of dawn, then I would do it.

Tank sat the contract down in front of me and handed me a pen. I signed in all of the appropriate places and slammed the pen down when I was finished.

"Welcome to RangeMan, Stephanie." The guys all yelled. I jumped at their booming voices and then laughed.

"Time to celebrate. Lunch on me at Pino's to welcome the newest member to the team." Ranger stood and my stomach let out a very unladylike growl. All the guys, except Les, looked at me shocked. He just chuckled from behind me.

"I'm game for food." I said, sheepishly, and stood off Les' lap. The guys and I all walked out of the office and toward the elevator. Ranger stopped in the middle of the command floor.

"Attention!" Every employee snapped their attention to the boss and stood perfectly still. I rolled my eyes. I hoped Ranger didn't expect me to do shit that like. "Welcome your newest team member, Stephanie Plum. She just signed on to work with us."

The guys working looked shocked for a second and then all cheered. What the hell? I just met them earlier that day and they were already excited that I was going to work with them. I got numerous 'congratulations' and many more 'welcomes' on the way to the elevator.

"The core team is offline for an hour. We're taking our newest employee to lunch at Pinos. Anyone not on duty can join us." It was obvious that Ranger's commanding voice was what the guys were used to hearing. He used a different voice when he talked to me though. I hoped that continued.

Lunch that afternoon at Pinos was quite an affair. There were about fifteen of us that invaded the small restaurant. Luckily the lunch crowd was already gone and we were the only ones there. The guys pushed several tables together in the back of the room and I was pushed down in a chair between Les and Ranger. Yum...a Cuban sandwich sounded entirely too good!

Les grabbed my knee and squeezed and I heard Ranger's sharp intake of breath. Did I say that out loud?

"Yes, you said that out loud. You have no idea how much I want to drag you out of here and fuck you in the SUV." Les whispered in my ear and then kissed the shell.

"I'll be your dessert later, Sexy." I purred in Les' ear and returned the kiss. His growl wasn't missed by the rest of the table and the guys had to laugh at him.

For the next couple hours, the guys and I enjoyed pizza, beer (for the ones off duty) and great conversation. I learned a lot about who they were during our celebration. I also learned that they are really great guys who have sacrificed a whole hell of a lot for this country. They weren't always treated the best either.

After the pizza and the beer was gone, the majority of the guys left to do whatever it was they did on days off. When it was just the 'core team' and I sitting at our table, I decided to speak what was weighing heavy on my mind.

"I want to thank you guys for everything you've done." They each smiled at me and I shook my head. They thought I was thanking them for the job. "No. I appreciate the job and I am in absolute awe at your faith in my abilities, but that wasn't why I was thanking you." They each looked at me curiously, so I smiled and continued.

"Thank you for your sacrifices protecting this country. I can't imagine what you each have gone through or seen, but I can thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing it." They all sat stunned and stared at me. "Talking with you all during lunch made me realize that maybe you all aren't treated so great in society. I think it was Woody who said that you're seen as thugs and killers. That is wrong because you're such honorable men. I can't change other people's minds, but I can tell you that what you've done in the past doesn't matter to me. I see the men that you are and each of you are amazing." I squeezed Les' knee under the table and continued. "I've always taken my freedoms for granted. I've never met anyone from the military so I've never thought about what you guys must have done to assure my safety at home." I shook my head. Talking with the guys really opened my eyes. "Thank you for your service. I will always appreciate it." I looked each guy in the eyes as I spoke. None of them said anything for a while and I was nervous that I overstepped some unspoken rule. Maybe they didn't want to think about their service.

Luckily, Tank took pity and put me out of my misery. "Little Girl, I have never in my entire thirty-five years met someone like you. You impress me and continue to shock me." He shook his head and then looked at me square in the eyes. "Woody was right. We're called all sorts of unsavory names, but you don't see any of that. You look beyond the outer appearance and see what's inside. You are truly one of a kind." I smiled at him and then Bobby spoke up.

"Tank's right. You are one of a kind and if Santos here screws up, then I'll be right there to sweep you off your feet." I laughed and laid my head on Les' shoulder. I hoped he never screwed up. I thought I heard Ranger mumble from beside me something like 'get in line, Brown', but I could have just imagined that.

Les was quiet beside me and when I glanced at him, he wouldn't make eye contact with me. Something inside me screamed and I knew I needed to talk to him to find out what I'd said that upset him.

"Okay, guys. I need to go and give Vinnie my notice. He's going to be pissed, but I really don't care. This actually might be fun." Bobby, Tank and Ranger all laughed. They hated Vinnie just as much as I did. Les was still quiet, so I touched his face to get his attention. "Are you mine the rest of the day or do you have stuff at the office to do?" Les looked toward Ranger and they had a silent conversation.

He finally nodded and gave me a small smile. "I'm yours. I'll go with you to the bonds office and then we'll see if your skip is stupid enough to hang out with his parents. If he's not there, we'll get him on Wednesday." Les stood and helped me out from around the tables. I hugged Tank, Bobby, and Ranger goodbye and thanked them again for the job. Les and I hopped in one SUV and they all took another.

The drive to the bonds office was quiet. When we parked, Les didn't turn off the vehicle right away so I didn't make a move to get out and instead turned sideways in my seat so I could see him better. "Are you going to tell me what's up? You've been uncharacteristically quiet since I opened my big mouth at lunch." I tried to get a read on him, but he was using a damn blank look that he hadn't used before. My heart started to break.

"Les?" He finally looked at me and I saw the pain behind his eyes. Was he breaking up with me?

"I'm sorry, Beautiful. I've just..." He sighed and dropped his head; almost like he felt guilty to or something.

"You've what?" I didn't want to push him, but I refused to let him clam up. I needed to know what I said to upset him.

"I've never met anyone like you before. Tank said it best. You see who we truly are and you're not ashamed or scared of us." I scoffed.

"Why would I be either of those? You're honorable men who I trust." I knew I was missing something really important in the conversation.

"Beautiful, each of the guys you met today has killed someone at some point in their lives. We've all done and seen things that I can't even begin to describe. Some of us are a little ashamed of ourselves, so it only makes sense that the public should be ashamed too." The sheer pain I saw behind his eyes broke my heart. I brought my hand up to his face and rested it against his cheek. He pressed his face into my palm and let me cradle it.

"You listen to me, Lester Santos. You are an honorable man. What you had to do was for the protection of this country. You did what had to be done to keep me safe, and you didn't even know me. Never be ashamed of who you are. I'm not. I love you." Oh snap! There was that word vomit again. I couldn't believe those words just came out of my mouth. His eyes snapped open and pinned me with a shocked gaze.

"How can you love me? There's so much you don't know about me. Once you hear the truth, you will change your mind." Les didn't take his eyes off mine and I refused to look away first.

"There isn't one thing that you could tell me about yourself that would change my mind. I know you well enough to know that I do indeed love you. Don't belittle what I'm feeling because you're scared. The heart wants what the heart wants, and my heart wants you." My voice was firm and held a little bit of aggravation. How dare he question my feelings?

"What if I told you that I still had to go on missions? I'm still obligated to go and kill people. I might get called tonight and have blood on my hands by tomorrow." He looked nervous so I scooted closer to him so I could cup his face in both of my hands.

"NOTHING you tell me will change my mind. The government may use you as a killing machine, but that doesn't mean that's WHO you are. You do what you're ordered and you don't ask questions, I get that. I have faith that the government would only order you to kill if it was necessary." I kissed him gently on the lips. "But even if it wasn't necessary, if it was just because they didn't like a guy, I would still love you. It's their conscience who should be bothered by that. Not yours. You said yourself that I have amazing instincts, and my instincts are saying that you are a great man. I trust them, why can't you?"

A single tear fell out of his eye and I swiped it off his face. No one will ever understand the internal struggle that those men battled with every day. I didn't fully understand, but I prayed then and there that Les would let me help him.

"I love you so damn much, Beautiful. I didn't want to admit it because I was scared, but I can't hold it back any more. You, Stephanie Plum, are one of a kind and I am so thankful that I found you. I honestly think you are the other half of my soul." Tears filled my eyes and Les leaned forward to kiss them away and whispered against my skin. "Thank you for loving me. I don't deserve it, but I'm not going to let you go. I think you're too good for me, but I'm going to strive to be good enough for you." Les' whispered words in the SUV were enough to make the tears fall.

Speaking through my tears, I told Lester the truth that I already knew in my heart. "You're more than good enough for me, Lester Santos. You're perfect just the way you are and I love you for being you." He kissed me again and hugged me into his solid body. We held each other in the silent SUV for several minutes. When I realized that Connie was watching us from the office window, I pulled away and wiped my eyes.

"I'm going to run inside and talk to Vinnie. I'll be right back." Les nodded and I kissed his nose before hopping out of the car and running into the office.

The talk with Vinnie ended as I thought it would. Yelling and cursing from him and many eye rolls from me. He agreed to let me pick up my last skip and I walked out of his office. Connie was sitting behind her desk with a smirk on her face.

"So, you took a full-time job at RangeMan?" I nodded and sighed.

"I did. Thank you. I guess I impressed the boss." She nodded.

"I knew you would be good and I'm glad they realized that." I started to walk out of the office. "Good luck, Steph. Don't forget about me here." I smiled at her.

"Never. I'll be back." She smiled and waved as I walked back to the SUV. Les was still sitting in the same spot staring out the window. I thought we cleared everything up, but I guess not.

"What's on your mind, Sexy? You look a little lost." He looked intently at me and shook the thoughts out of his head.

"Not lost, just thinking." I knew he had more to say, so I waited for him to continue."I was serious about being contracted still with the government. I have several more months left on this contract. I can get called at any time and I have to leave. I won't lie to you, Beautiful. These missions are dangerous and I might not make it back from one of them." He looked away from me and sighed. "I guess I'm giving you an out. If this is too much then I would understand if you don't want to see me anymore." I shook my head and pulled his face back around so I could look into his gorgeous green eyes.

"I told you that NOTHING you told me would make me change my mind. If you get called away, then you better make it home to me because I will be right here waiting for you. I won't say that I won't be worried, but that's what happens when the person you love is in danger. You worry. It doesn't make me love you less." My words finally seemed to break through his shell because I watched as his eyes softened. He kissed me gently yet passionately and wiggled his eyebrows as he pulled away. Gone was the unsure man and my old Les reemerged.

"I think you promised to be my dessert and I'm craving something sweet. Let's go back to your apartment and show each other how much we love each other." I smiled at him and quickly fastened my seat belt.

"You're on, Big Boy. But it's only fair that if I get to be your dessert now, you have to be mine later." His eyes turned dark and before I knew it, we were speeding toward my apartment. Afternoon delight, here I come. (Pun intended).

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**PSA # 8 - **The struggle inside military personnel is real. I read a news story from 2013 that made me extremely sad. Once every 65 minutes, someone who fought for our country takes their own life. Their reasons for doing so are their own and I will never understand the demons that each of them face, but I think it's something we all need to be aware of. Whether you believe in war or support the actions of our government, the men and women who serve in our military sacrifice so much to ensure our freedoms. They deserve our thanks and our support every single day. Not a day goes by that I don't think about those men/women and thank them for everything they've done and will continue to do. I hope you will join me in lifting these service men and women up instead of tearing them down.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **As usual, the characters don't belong to me. I'm simply playing with them for a bit.

I can't thank you all enough for your reviews! I'm a slacker when it comes to responding, but I wanted to say thank you to each and every one of you here because your words mean so much to me. You guys are awesome!

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**Chapter 12**

**SPOV**

The next three months flew by without one single problem. After weeks of training with the Core Team at RangeMan, I passed my field qualifications test with flying colors. Ranger claimed that I did better than some of the Army guys. I highly doubted that was the case, but I could imagine it was true, right?

After I'd been cleared for field work, Ranger placed me on a rotation of partners. I worked a week with each of the Core Team and then I started working my way through the other Merry Men. They groaned when I called them that, but I didn't care. To me, they were the protectors of the weak and even though the world saw them as thugs, I knew the true men they were. They were also my Merry Men because they made me happy.

I was a little worried about my week with Hector because I didn't understand Spanish and he didn't speak English. I had no idea how we were going to communicate, but the first day we were together, I learned his dirty little secret. Hector had all the guys fooled into thinking that he didn't speak and understand English, but he was quite proficient in the language. He told me that he liked to pretend because it helped him gather information better. People talked around him because they assumed he didn't understand their language, sneaky little man.

My second week as a full-time employee, I recruited Hector to help me learn some Spanish. Les still whispered to me in his native language when we were in bed. I wanted to surprise him and speak it back to him. Hector happily taught me and only after a week, I was able to say a few phrases, but not well enough to not make a fool of myself. I had been able to understand a few things that Les whispered and the words that he said made my heart speed up.

After our admissions of love, Les and I hadn't spent one night apart. We left work together and either ate dinner in or went out, but no matter what we did we always found our way back to my apartment for the night. Those nights were filled with oh so many orgasms! I was a well satisfied woman! It was the times in between those orgasms that Les and I whispered to each other in the dark that made me feel extremely loved and extremely happy. He and I were happy together and I didn't think anything could tear us apart.

The night of my first distraction I was nervous as hell. Everyone told me that I would have no problem getting the skip's attention, but I had my doubts. I didn't see myself the way they did, but I trusted them so I headed to my apartment without Les to get ready. He and Ranger were picking me up at 2100 and I had a lot to do before then.

Before hopping in the shower, I sat at my small table and read the file. Samuel Samuelson, thirty-seven years old arrested for attempted murder. He got into an argument with his neighbor over the ownership of a tree on the property line and instead of talking like adults, they started a fist fight. Sam almost killed the guy with a torque wrench in a fit of rage. The neighbor spent weeks in the hospital and Sam got locked up. His picture showed a very attractive man, aside from the fact that he was almost a murderer. Sam had a muscular build, short spiky blond hair and pale blue eyes. If he wasn't our skip and I didn't have Les, I would have gone out with him. Except his name was Samuel Samuelson. Honestly, what is wrong with his parents?

It took us a few days to pin Sam down, but we eventually got word that he was going to a bar called The Hell Hole and let me tell you, the bar lived up to its name. It literally was a hell hole bar down on Stark Street that was mostly filled with hookers and their owners. Ranger told me that my outfit needed to be 'trashy'. I just knew my mother was going to hear about it. I wasn't looking forward to that conversation.

After giving myself a serious pep talk, I finally got up from the table and headed to my bathroom. I showered, waxed and buffed every important bit. My non-existent dress left nothing to the imagination, so I made sure that I was hair free. After taming my wild curls and caking on the make-up, I slipped on the tight spandex dress. It was originally bright red, but someone had taken scissors to it and made huge rips all over the dress. It covered my naughty bits, but only just barely.

I slipped on my thigh high black hooker boots - think Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and you've got the picture. I bought them and never had an opportunity to wear them. I figured they were appropriate for the distraction and went with it. I was applying another coat of mascara when I heard the locks tumble on my door. I gave Les his own key weeks ago, so I knew it was him and Ranger.

"I'll be right out guys. I'm almost ready," I yelled from my bedroom. I fluffed my hair once more and then took another look at my reflection in the mirror. I looked like a hooker, a clean hooker, but a hooker none the less.

I walked out of the bedroom and heard two sharp intakes of breath. Les and Ranger stood by the front door with glazed looks on their faces. I smiled at them and did a slow twirl.

"Will this work?" I purred out and watched their eyes darken. I had to giggle at the two men. They looked so cute standing there with their mouths open.

Les composed himself first and after shaking the naughty thoughts out of his head took two strides and was standing in front of me. He ran his finger down my face and gave me a gentle kiss. "You look fucking hot, Beautiful. I don't want to let you do this job." I felt rhino mode rapidly approaching. I hated when people told me what to do. It wasn't his choice to let me. Les noticed my expression and shook his head. "You misunderstood. It's not because I don't think you can do this or because every guy there is going to cream his jeans when they see you. It's because I want to take you back to your bed and fuck you senseless. You have no idea how sexy you are." I saw the truth in his dark eyes and laughed. I had to push Les away because I was too tempted to let him take me back to my bed.

Ranger finally gathered his thoughts and looked at both of us. "You guys ready to go?" Les sighed and nodded. Ranger handed me a wire, but I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it.

Les took if from me and slipped it under my left breast. He expertly taped it so the microphone was hidden yet would still pick up the conversation. Les took another deep cleansing breath and kissed my forehead. "I'll be in the car." Les turned quickly and left me standing there with Ranger. I was more than a little confused and I guess it showed on my face.

"He's having a hard time with this." Ranger's voice made me jump. "Just give him time."

I nodded and let out a sigh. "I know. I hope he understands that this is just a job for me." Ranger nodded and stepped close in front of me.

"For what it's worth, I would have the same problem if you were mine." Ranger whispered and trailed a finger down my face much like Les did earlier. "You look beautiful, Babe."

"Thanks," whispering that one word was all I could manage right then. Ranger's closeness was affecting me more than I felt comfortable with so I took a step back.

"We need to go. I just need to grab my coat." Ranger nodded and took a step back as well. He grabbed my leather coat off the hook by the door. It was black and hit me right at mid-thigh were the top of the boots rested. I put it on and tied the belt around me to hide the scrap of dress that I was wearing, at least I'd be modest for a little bit tonight.

I followed Ranger out of the door and down to the waiting SUV. Les was sitting in the passenger seat and didn't talk the entire drive to the bar. Ranger parked down the street and glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

"The skip's already at the bar on his fifth beer. Bobby is bar tending, Tank is in a back booth nursing a beer, Cal and Hector are at the back door, and Les and I will be at the front. All you have to do is lure him out to us." I nodded and took a deep breath. I climbed out of the SUV and approached Les who was standing in the front of the vehicle.

"Just remember that I'm going home with you. I'm going to need you to help me get the dirty off me later." I kissed him on the cheek and wiped the lipstick off. He smiled and me and nodded. "I love you, Les."

I turned to walk toward the bar, but was quickly grabbed by the arm and spun into a solid chest. Les' lips crashed down onto mine in a heated kiss. He made damn sure that I knew who I belonged to. We were both breathing heavy when we pulled away. My lipstick was slightly smudged, but that would add to the working girl act I had to put on.

"I love you too, Beautiful." Les kissed me again and let me go. I walked toward the bar trying shake off the lust Les caused with his kisses.

The bar was scarcely occupied by people when I walked in and I quickly noticed that I was the only female. I guess the other regular girls were still working. I approached the bar and took my coat off hanging it on the back of the bar stool. I slid into my seat and ordered a rum and Coke from Bobby. I got a Coke and a wink.

I nursed my fake drink and looked around the bar. The skip noticed me immediately and slid down into the open seat next to me.

"Hey Honey, what's a guy like me got to do to get you for a night?" I smiled sexily at him and sucked my straw. His eyes locked on my lips just like I'd planned.

"I'm not for sale." I purred and leaned into him and rested a hand on his muscled thigh. "But if you buy me a drink, I might be persuaded to give you a chance." He smiled and quickly ordered me another drink. Bobby came over and set a fresh Coke and another beer down for the skip.

"So, what's someone as sexy as you doing in this sleaze pit if you're not a working girl?" He put his hand on my thigh and began stroking the exposed skin above the boots.

"Oh, I'm a working girl. It's just my night off and you look like a guy who doesn't like to pay." He smiled and leaned closer to me. His breath smelled like beer and stale cigarettes and made me wrinkle my nose slightly. Luckily, he didn't notice.

His lips were just a breath away from my ear when he spoke. "Why don't we get out of here and go back to my place? I don't like to pay, but I'll make sure you're well compensated." His words sent shivers down my spine, but I smiled and nodded at him. I bundled up in my coat and let him lead me out towards the front door.

The second we were outside, I felt Mr. Samuelson being wrenched away from me. I turned to see him face down on the ground with Les sitting with his knee in his back and Ranger cuffing his hands.

"Sorry, Sexy One, this is just a little misunderstanding. I'll find you when I clear this up. You owe me a night of fun." His words sent shivers through me and I walked toward the SUV. I needed to get away from him. I wanted to get out of these stupid clothes and take a hot shower. I wanted to feel Les' arms around me.

I ripped the wire out from under my dress and I stood by myself beside the SUV watching the guys take care of getting the skip searched and detained. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings, so when the arm snaked around my waist, I jumped. I was then pulled into a softer body that I didn't recognize and a hand wrapped around my mouth as the unknown person pulled me back further into the shadows.

"Well, well. If it isn't Ms. My Car is Broke Down. Looks like you're screwing up another loser's life with your lies." Shit! I knew that voice. It belonged to Brian Holmes, my third official skip. Les and I picked him up in the parking lot of a bar where he hoped to get lucky with speed dating.

I guess, technically, that was my first distraction, but whatever. I dressed sexy and stood by my 'broke down' car. It didn't take long for him to come over and offer his expert assistance. The second his head lowered under the hood, Les slapped the cuffs on. It went perfectly and he went back to jail. It was a good night.

"I've been following you. Ever since I saw you standing there in that parking lot looking sexy as hell, I wanted you." His hand around my waist began to travel up my body causing me to try to fight away from him. His hand was still over my mouth, so I couldn't yell for help, but I was struggling against him none the less. He was way bigger than me and I wasn't able to get any leverage.

"If you don't stop fighting, I won't hesitate to kill you bitch." His words were harsh and full of venom, so I knew he meant it. I stopped struggling and let out a deep breath. "If I remove my hand from your mouth, are you going to make a noise? If you do then you're going to piss me off." I shook my head and whimpered when his hand slowly came away from my mouth. He wrapped his now free hand into my curls and pulled my head to the side, exposing my neck. Fear shot through me when I felt his tongue trace up my neck and down my jaw.

"Steph? Where did you go?" The voice I longed to hear yelled from the direction of the parked SUV. Brian and I were too deep in shadows to be seen, so Les kept looking around. When he didn't see me, I saw the panic flare in his eyes. I wanted to call out to him.

"You make a noise and you die." I felt the cold steel of a knife against my exposed skin on my stomach. Brian had gotten my coat untied and was stroking his blade around the slits of the dress. I whimpered again.

I watched Les walk away from the SUV and towards the rest of the guys. He had a conversation with Ranger who immediately went into action. Like that, the guys scattered. Ranger was barking orders, but I was too far away to hear them. Les stood beside him looking around.

"Your little boyfriend is looking a little worried. You want to call him over? He was there that day too? Wasn't he?" When I refused to answer, Brian wrenched my head to the side and made a small cut down my neck. "Answer me, Bitch!" I cried out and nodded. I could feel the blood seep out of the cut and run down my skin. "Let's call him over so he can watch me taste his woman." I couldn't help the tears that fell or the sob that escaped my throat. Brian pressed the knife further into my neck and walked me forward toward the street light.

I felt his erection pressed into my back and his lower hand was working under my dress as we walked. The second we stepped under the street light, Les snapped his attention to us and drew his weapon. Ranger was a second behind him on the draw.

"Let her go, Motherfucker and maybe you'll walk away!" Les' voice was low and deadly.

Brian laughed and pressed the knife further into my neck. "Make a move and she dies. You two fucked up my life and now I get to fuck up yours." I felt the bite of the blade and did everything I could not to move. It was deathly close to my artery and I knew there would be no saving me if he cut there.

"You hurt her, you end your own life. We're not fucking around." Ranger began to move around us. Brian tightened his hold on me and kept his eyes locked on Les, big mistake.

"I'm not fucking around either. Although...I'd like nothing more than to fuck this one. You've got a hot piece of ass here." His dirty fingers made their way inside me painfully. I cried out when they entered me and Les started to take a step, but stopped. Brian pulled his fingers out of me and brought them to his mouth and slurped on them. "She tastes good too."

I noticed the other guys surrounding us, but that didn't lessen my fears. All of them had their weapons out and all of them had a look on their faces that almost made me pee myself. I know that their anger wasn't directed at me, but they still scared me.

"You're surrounded and you're not going anywhere. Let her go and we'll make your death painless. Fuck around and you'll die slowly." I'd never heard Les' voice sound so hard. The man in front of me wasn't the Les I knew. It was the soldier, the killing machine.

"If I'm going to die anyway, I may as well have some fun before I go." Brian kissed my cheek and pushed my dress up. With one swift move, he tore my thong off my body. I felt him struggling to unbutton his pants and I prayed that someone stopped him before he got any further.

The knife made another cut down my neck that made me cry out again. "Make a move and she dies before you have a chance to stop me. I'm going to fuck your whore and you're going to watch." Les' eyes were hard and stayed locked on mine. When I heard the sound of a zipper I lost it.

"Please don't let him do this to me. Please help me Les." I stretched my arm out to him but it got pulled back by Brian. "Please." I whimpered as I felt Brian position himself behind me.

"LESTER! HELP ME!" I was frantic. I saw the pain and battle warring in his eyes.

"He can't help you, my dear. He would rather see me fuck you than risk your life. He must really love you." I looked right into Les' eyes and saw how true that statement was. What Les didn't understand was that I'd rather die than be raped by a madman.

I knew at that point that I had to fight. The guys couldn't or wouldn't help me, so I had to help myself regardless if it meant that I died. I looked deep into Lester's eyes and prayed that he heard my unspoken words. I prayed that he knew how much I loved him. I prayed he understood why I couldn't just stand there.

"It doesn't matter what he wants. I would rather die than have your nasty dick inside me." With my words I twisted my body away from Brian's embrace. The knife cut down my neck and shoulder, but at least I was free from him.

I fell to the ground hearing the sound of numerous gun shots. When the shooting stopped, I looked next to me into the cold dead eyes of Brian Holmes. I struggled to get away but couldn't, as I felt the blood seeping out of the cut and I felt so tired.

Les was beside me the second before the skip hit the ground. He was holding pressure over the wound and yelling for Bobby. The guys surrounded me and were doing whatever they could to help. It didn't make a difference though. I felt the darkness creeping in and I welcomed its peace.

"Don't you close your eyes, Beautiful, open them up and look at me! You're going to be okay. It's not a bad cut, it just needs some Neosporin and a Band-Aid!" I could tell by the look on his face that he was lying.

"Please don't lie to me." I looked into his eyes that were shining with tears. "Please don't be mad at me. I had to do it. I couldn't let him hurt me like that." My voice was a whisper and Les had to lean close to hear me. "Always remember that I love you. I love you more than I ever thought possible. I walked into that diner hoping to meet the person who could teach me how to be a bounty hunter and, as luck would have it, I met the man who would teach me a much more important lesson. You taught me how to love. Thank you for loving me, Lester Santos." He wasn't holding back the tears any longer. He let them fall, unashamed, down his face as he held me close and stroked my face. Bobby was barking orders and doing his medic thing.

Everything around me disappeared. I only saw Les and the only thing I felt was his hands on me. The darkness was closer and my breathing was slowing down.

"Please don't go, my Love, please don't leave me. If you die, then I die. I refuse to live without you, Stephanie." He kissed my cold lips. "Baby, please don't go! I love you too damn much to lose you." His voice was further away and I could no longer see him. I realized that was because my eyes were closed and I couldn't for the life of me make myself open them.

"I love you." That was the last thing I whispered before the darkness closed around me. I felt nothing, I heard nothing, and I was comforted by the dark. Maybe death wasn't so bad.

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A/N - Some of you were waiting for the angst, well here is your first dose. Stay tuned for more =)


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **Not mine and I make no money.

Sorry to everyone who wanted this chapter early and didn't get it. I thought long and hard about posting yesterday, but then you all would have to wait even longer for the next one, so I decided to just hold off. I'll have the next one out on Friday. =)

To all my faithful reviewers...thank you! It's not enough, but it's all I got. Your words of encouragement are what keeps me writing.

And since I couldn't sleep tonight...you all get this chapter super early. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 13**

**LPOV**

There are things that I never thought I'd ever have to ponder, but sitting on that cold pavement, holding Stephanie's lifeless body a million thoughts ran through my head. Like, how was I supposed to keep living without the love of my life? How could I go on without the one person who was the air in my lungs? How could I wake up the next day without her light beside me? How could I survive if she died? The answers to those questions were easy. I couldn't! Just like my mom died when my dad did, I knew I would die if Stephanie did.

I watched the whole sequence of events in horrifying slow motion. First she looked at me with every ounce of love pouring from her eyes. I heard her thoughts loud and clear and I knew what she planned to do. I knew she was going to free herself and I knew she would get hurt in the process, but I never imagined the extent of the damage.

Watching the steel of the knife slice through the skin that I had kissed only hours before was devastating, but then I had to watch her fall limply to the ground. I didn't wait for the all clear or for the guns to stop firing. I think I fell beside her almost instantly, but there was nothing I could do to save her.

All I could do was hold her in my arms and watch the life slowly drain from her. Bobby couldn't stop the bleeding and she only had so much blood inside her little body. Bobby was smart though. He set up a field transfusion. Ranger had the same blood type as Stephanie and Bobby immediately got blood flowing back into her. I knew that if she lived, it would only be because of his smart thinking and I knew that I would owe him and Ranger both for the rest of my life. There was nothing that I could ever do that would repay them for saving her.

When I first saw Stephanie dressed in that scrap of a dress that night, I honestly wanted to call the whole job off. I wanted to whisk her away and keep her safe from the ugliness that I knew she would come into contact with. I didn't want any of that evil to even touch her, but she insisted that she would be okay and that she could handle it, so I trusted her.

She kicked ass during her training. Her aim at the shooting range got to be dead on. She ended up a better shot than most of the guys who work with us. She didn't believe us, of course, when we told her that though. She thought we were trying to make her feel good, but she really was a good shot. I was proud of her for overcoming her fears and learning how to use the weapon correctly.

The time she spent on the mats with the guys improved her takedown techniques. Hal taught her self-defense and after a few weeks of training, she actually planted his ass on the mats a couple of times. It impressed the hell out of all of us to see her take him down. He was only slightly smaller than Tank.

After she passed her field qualifications test, she was a full-fledged RangeMan employee and got sent out with the rest of us. I loved hearing the stories she told me about her different partners. All of the guys loved working with her and she fit right in with all of us. The most comical week was when she partnered with Woody. He was a cowboy from Texas and refused to listen to any music other than country and Stephanie hated country music. She would complain every night about the whining of the songs. She always became so animated when she talked about the lyrics she heard that day. She would rant and say, "I just don't give a fuck if your dog died and then your wife left you because you were an abusive drunk." I just laughed and held her close as she vented to me. God, I loved holding her in my arms.

Sitting in the hospital waiting room, my arms felt so empty and I knew if she didn't make it, I'd have to get used to that feeling of emptiness. I'd have to get used to not hearing her laugh or seeing her smile. Those were things that I refused to even think about. So, I sat in that small room with my head in my hands. Bobby took my weapon and was sitting beside me giving me his quiet support. He knew better than anyone what would happen if she died. He, along with Ranger and Tank, are the only guys who knew the truth about my parents' deaths. They all knew how much I loved Stephanie Plum and they were all worried that I was going to make good on my promise to her. That was the reason they were all hovering close to me that night.

I meant it when I told her that I would die if she did. Bobby took my guns and knives off me, but I didn't need them to end my life. I just needed space, and I seriously doubted I would get that if the worst happened.

Several hours passed with no word one way or the other and since I didn't know what else to do, so I sat and did something that I hadn't done in years. I prayed. I begged and bargained with God to save her. I pleaded with him to take me instead. I deserved to die for my past sins, not Stephanie. She was everything perfect in my life. When it looked like the being nice with God wasn't working, I turned to threatening God. How I was going to carry out the threats, I had no clue. But I could be a scary ass mother fucker too. I would figure out a way.

Threatening didn't help, in fact right after I threatened God we heard the page of a code blue in Stephanie's room. I figured that I must have really pissed God off with the threats. I ran to her trauma room and through the window had to watch her small, broken, body being worked on by the doctors and nurses. I watched them shock her back to life and the second I heard the beep of the heart monitor, I sank to the floor in tears.

Bobby was beside me trying to talk to me, but I didn't hear a word he said. Ranger came up to me and pulled me off the floor and into a hug that spoke volumes of our relationship. He would always be like a big brother. The genetics didn't matter, he was always there for me when I needed him and I loved him for it. The doctor approached our small group when he came out of her room.

"Carlos Manoso?" The doctor looked at each of us as Ranger released me from his hug.

"I'm Carlos. What can you tell me?" Ranger wasn't fucking around and his tone of voice made that very clear.

"You hold Ms. Plums medical power of attorney, so I'm only at liberty to speak to you. Can we step into her room?" The doctor turned away, but stopped when he heard Ranger's voice.

"Doctor, this man is Stephanie's fiancé." He pointed to me. Fiancé? I hadn't asked her to marry me. I wanted to, but was afraid she thought it was too soon.

"Bobby is my medic and Tank is her friend. We all need to hear how she is. Whatever you have to say gets said here." The doctor looked at each of us and sighed.

"We've got her stabilized for now. She lost a lot of blood, but I was able to suture the wound and repair the damage there. The transfusion that she received on sight saved her life." He took a deep breath and continued. "We've got her in a medically induced coma right now. We're going to keep her that way until the skin around the wound has time to heal a little more. It's very fragile and if she moves too much it can rupture again and cause more trauma." Bobby nodded, so I guessed that was a good thing. I didn't like the coma word.

"We're going to move her to ICU in about twenty minutes. Once she gets settled, you can go up and visit her." He looked at each of us and let out another sigh.

"Policy says that there's to be no more than one visitor at a time in ICU, but I doubt you all are going to follow policy." Ranger smirked and shook his head.

"No, we will all be there. There will also be two guards stationed outside her door at all times. The hospital has allowed this before and it will be allowed again." There was no room for arguments, so the doctor just nodded.

"You can see her in room 422 in about an hour." I watched the doctor walk away and sank back to my place on the floor thanking God that she was going to be okay.

"She's not out of the woods yet, Man; but this is good news." Bobby's words seeped into my foggy brain and I simply nodded. I felt too numb to do anything else.

An hour later, we all made our way to room 422. What I saw broke my heart. Stephanie small frame was dwarfed by the big bed. She had cables and tubes running in and out of her, and her normal creamy complexion was ghastly pale. Her crazy curls were lifeless and dull. I walked slowly toward her bed and sat in the chair placed beside it.

"Can I touch her?" My whispered question broke the silence in the room. I wanted to touch her, but I didn't want to mess anything up.

"Sure you can. Touch her and talk to her. Studies show that people in comas can hear those around them. Hearing your voice might help." Bobby took a position on the other side of the bed and looked over her chart. He continued to check out her medications and other medical crap. I sat and stared at the love of my life wondering how everything went so wrong. Suddenly the realization hit me and I felt sick.

"What are we doing to her?" Ranger and Tank both stopped moving and raised their eye brows at me in question. "We're destroying her. We have to stop now! We have to leave her alone! We have to discourage her from doing this job! We almost got her killed!" I knew I was panicking, but couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. "Ranger, fire her and I'll push her away. She'll be forced to find a normal job and she'll be safe. Right? That's what we need to do. We can't let her keep..."

"Santos!" Ranger's commanding officer voice came out, so I had no choice to stop my ranting. "You know Stephanie better than any of us. Can you honestly tell me you believe any of that bullshit you're spewing?" I glared at him.

"It's the only way to keep her safe." My voice was firm and let them know that I wasn't going to change my mind on the subject.

"Bull fucking shit. If you dump her and push her away, I can guarantee that you'll have a long line of guys waiting to first beat your ass and then they'll be there to take your spot." Hearing that got me a little pissed. Why would they want to keep her in our world and get her hurt?

"She's going to do this job with or without our help. She's safer with us than she is on her own. You told me yourself what a disaster her first attempt was at bounty hunting." That was the truth. She was a disaster at first, but she'd gotten so much better. I thought, maybe, I could convince her to change jobs.

"Trust me, Primo, don't fuck this up and do something stupid. I will personally beat your ass if you hurt her." Ranger took one last look at Stephanie and walked from the room. I guessed he was a little pissed at me, but I didn't care.

"He's right, Les. She's good at what she does. She impressed us during her field tests and during our partner's week. I can see how much you love her and she loves you the same way. If you fuck this up, I'll be behind Ranger kicking your ass and then I'll ask her out. You have a one in a million woman right in front of you." Tank looked pointedly at me as he spoke. We had a stare down after he finished and I saw the truth in the words that he just spoke behind his hard eyes. When I finally looked away, he stalked from the room.

"Les, you've been my partner for years. I love you just like a brother, so I'm going to treat you like one." Bobby was talking quietly from beside me. "I think you're a smart man, but if you do what you're suggesting then I will lose every ounce of respect I have for you." Ouch man, that was harsh. I was only telling the truth. "Stephanie's going to need you to be strong for her when she wakes up and while she's healing. As much pain as you think you're in, I can guarantee that she's in more. You leave her while she's already weak, you'll kill her." Bobby glared at me with another set of hard eyes. "And you better start begging for her forgiveness, because if the studies are right, she just heard every ounce of that bullshit that you just said and she's going to be pissed when she wakes up!"

Bobby checked one last machine and then left the room, too. I was finally alone with my Beautiful, but it was only for a second. Ranger came back into the room and still looked pissed at me.

"I never took you for a coward." Yep, he was still pissed and I was reaching my boiling point too.

"I'm not a co..." I tried to defend myself, but Ranger's pointed glare made me shut my mouth.

"Well only a coward would give up the person they love most in the world because they are afraid of getting hurt. I understand it, Man. I know what you went through when you lost your parents. I was there, but don't walk away from her because you're afraid. Do you think your parents would have changed anything had they known how their lives would end? Would they have loved each other less or not at all?" Ranger bent over, brushed some curls away from Steph's face and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. I should have been mad, but I really wasn't. "Think about what I said before you do something stupid. You are the luckiest guy in the world right now. Any one of the men you work with would kill to be in your shoes, me included. Even though it hurts, it will get better. She will survive and you will marry her." I raised an eyebrow at him. I hadn't spoken about marriage to anyone, so I wondered how he knew what I was thinking.

Ranger gave me a small smile. "You look at her the same way your dad looked at your mom. I've seen the pictures, and I know you love her deeply and that you want to marry her. I'm not stupid." I sighed and turned back to Stephanie. I thought that I hid my feelings pretty well, but after hearing what Ranger said, I decided that maybe I wasn't masking my emotions as well as I thought.

We were both silent for several minutes. I was lost in thought and Ranger was staring at Steph. I finally let out a deep breath and stood. I knew what I had to do. Ranger watched me as I walked around the bed and stood in front of him.

"Thanks for pulling my head out of my ass." I pulled him into a tight hug and hoped he understood how thankful I was to him. I once again owed him more than my life.

"No problem." Ranger pulled away after a manly slap on the back and walked toward the door. "Ram and Woody are outside. Let me know if you need anything." I nodded and watched him leave the room. Once again, Steph and I were alone.

I took the cold lifeless hand laying closest to me and kissed it gently. I prayed that she heard me now.

"I love you, Stephanie Michelle Plum. I can't believe that I almost lost you. You are my life, my heart, my soul. You're the air that I breathe. You're the light in my dark life. You make me a better person. I will marry you one day. I will watch you grow with my children. But, before we can do any of that, you have to get better. You need to heal so you can wake up and then we'll start our life together. I'm never letting you go, Beautiful." I kissed her palm and rested her hand back on the bed.

I never let go of her hand. I sat beside her bed for the ten days that she was in the coma. I only left to use the bathroom or shower. I slept and ate in that stupid chair in that stupid hospital room, but I refused to leave her.

The days after they stopped the medication keeping her in the coma were very bad days for me. Even though there was nothing keeping her asleep, Stephanie still wasn't waking up. They told me that it might take some time, but it had been three days and the doctors were getting worried, so I got worried right along with them.

I never left her though. I sat by her bed, holding her hand, brushing the hair out of her face and talking. I talked to her about everything. I told her about my parents and about my dreams for our future. I told her that I already had the kids names picked out. Lame, I know, but it filled the silence and gave me a little bit of hope.

The guys were all worried about me, but not one of them dared to even try to make me leave. Ranger and Bobby were the only ones that I trusted to stay beside her when I had to step away. Ella kept bringing me a supply of food and clothes, so there was no reason to go back to RangeMan. My life was lying in that stupid bed, so that's where I was. She might not be able to respond to me, but I still talked to her.

On day five of no medication, the doctors were a bit baffled. They didn't know why she wasn't awake and I could tell that they were losing hope, but I refused to give up. Stephanie still slept, and I continued talking.

"Beautiful, where do you want to go on our honeymoon? I was thinking Bali, but I'm open to suggestions. I just want a private beach with your sexy naked body. You just need to wake up and tell me where you want to go." I laid my head down on the bed beside her, just like I had for the past fifteen days.

Fifteen long exhausting days had caused my emotions to become raw and my control to be nonexistent. I felt the first tear roll down my face and that was enough for me to let loose and cry. I was so tired and I was sadly losing the hope that I'd clung to so desperately. I began sobbing with uncontrolled tears. I couldn't stop them even if I wanted to and I sure as hell didn't want to right then. I needed to get them out, I needed to mourn.

Lost in my emotions, I felt the slightest movement by my head. I thought maybe a nurse or one of the guys had come in, so I didn't raise my head to see who it was. I wasn't in the mood for company.

"Belize." The voice was raspy and barely above a whisper, but I heard it. My head shot up and my eyes looked into the two most gorgeous baby blues that I'd ever seen.

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A/N - I didn't draw the angst out too long this time...so that just means you can expect some more later. =)


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **Not mine and I'm making no money

I forgot it was Friday and almost left my house for the day without posting this. Thank you all for your reviews and fav/follows. You do this girl's heart good with your words. =)

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**Chapter 14**

**SPOV**

"What did you say?" Les' eyes, shining with tears, were staring into mine. He looked exhausted, both physically and emotionally. I hated that I was the cause for his despondent appearance.

"I said Belize. You asked where I wanted to go on our honeymoon." I tried to smile, but the pain in my neck turned it into a grimace. Les was up and by my side immediately.

"Please don't move, Beautiful. You're stiff from being immobile the past two weeks." Les tried to adjust me so I was more comfortable, but I placed my hand on his face and he stopped fussing over me.

"I want you to know that I heard you while I was sleeping. I heard everything you said." A look of regret filled his face and he sat down hard in the chair beside my bed.

"I'm sorry that I freaked out that first day you where here. I was going to walk away from you, because I was so scared." I nodded and smiled at him. I heard the conversations and understood where he was coming from. I would have felt the same thing if our roles were reversed so I wasn't mad at him.

"What made you change your mind?" I'd heard everything that they guys said to him that day; especially Ranger, and I had an idea of the catalyst that started his change in thinking.

Les let out a sigh and looked at me before pulling my hand to his lips and kissing the palm. I knew the whole situation was hard for him, so I gave Les the time he needed to get control over his thoughts and emotions.

"You remember the week you partnered with Woody?" I rolled my eyes remembering that week from hell. Woody was a great guy and I liked him as a person, but if I never hear a country song again, it will be too soon. When I would see Les after my shift, I had to tell him all about the whining and the twang from the radio. Les would just hold me and laugh as I bitched to him. Those nights were good, but I didn't understand where Les was going with that question.

"What does Woody have to do with anything?" I watched the emotions and thoughts float across his handsome face and wanted to reach out to touch him, but I hurt too damn bad to move.

"You came home one day that week and told me all about the horrible country songs that you were forced to listen to. You hated all of them, except that one, "The Dance." We talked about the words and you admitted that you liked it." As much as it pained me to admit it was true, I had never heard of Garth Brooks before that week, but that song made me think about a whole lot of things. I smiled at Les remembering the words of the song and nodded for him to continue.

"The guys weren't too happy about my new plan to keep you safe and they let me know about it." I giggled. They more than just let him know. They each reamed him a new asshole. Les smiled at my giggle before continuing. "I know you heard what each of them said, but it was Ranger who brought everything home. You know how my parents died, right?" I nodded. Les had mentioned it before my hospital stay, but I heard him telling me the story as I slept. It broke my heart to hear him talk about their love. "Ranger asked me a question that really made me think. He asked if my parents would have loved less or not at all had they known how it would end?"

Les fell quiet again as he thought about what he wanted to say next. I could see the thoughts racing through his mind and eventually, he gave his head a little shake and continued speaking. "I can honestly tell you that they wouldn't have. It's like that song said, you can miss the pain but you would have to miss the dance. My parents wouldn't have changed anything about how they loved each other and I won't either." Les sat on the bed next to me and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "I've always wanted to have the type of love that my parents had. I've always wished that I would find a woman who could and would love me as much as I love her. now that I've found you, Steph...I refuse to let you go." He kissed me again and I felt his tears on my face.

(Italicized words are spoken in Spanish)

_"I love you so much, Stephanie. I want to marry you and have babies with you. I want to make every dream you have come true. Please don't be angry with me for being a coward. Please don't leave me. Say that you'll marry me and make a life with me. Be my wife."_ I didn't catch everything he said, but I understood the majority of it. Hector had taught me a little Spanish during our week together and even continued after that week. Thankfully I was a quick learner. I couldn't speak it, but I could understand it.

My heart stopped when he asked to marry me. I knew he wasn't really asking because he assumed that I couldn't understand him. It wasn't like he was down on a knee with a ring. I decided to let him in on my secret and answer his question from my heart. Without thinking or filtering my words, I spoke from heart just like he did. "Yes. I will marry you and have your babies. I love you, Lester Santos, and I always will."

His eyes shot up and the confused look on his face made me giggle. Les was beyond shocked, he was stunned speechless. "What's the matter, Maestro? Did I surprise you?" His oh so sexy smile slowly spread across his face and he planted a hard kiss on my lips. God, I missed those lips.

"You shocked the shit out of me. Who's been teaching you Spanish?"

"Hector." I smiled at his look of shock again. Hector scared most of the guys in the building but I saw the man under the tattoos. Hector was a great man.

"You are a sneaky little minx, but I love you." Les gently caressed my face.

I closed my eyes and relished in his touch. My declaration came out on a barely audible whisper. "I love you, too."

Les was about to say something when the door burst open and a man wearing a white coat strolled in reading a chart. I assumed he was my doctor because Les didn't automatically pull his gun. Once the doctor noticed that I was awake, he closed my chart and smiled at me.

"Good to see your eyes, Ms. Plum, you had us pretty worried. How are you feeling?"

I had no idea how to answer that because I'd just woken up. "I'm sore, but other than that I think I'm okay."

The doctor smiled and waved a little light in my eyes and checked some of the IV sites before talking again. "Now that you're awake, we're going to run some tests to make sure everything is okay. If everything checks out, then we'll be able to get you out of here. The cut on your neck and shoulder has had time to heal while you were sleeping, so we don't have to worry about the wound reopening or infections." I brought my hand up to feel the already forming scar and sighed loudly in resignation. Scars were ugly and I hated that it was on my neck visible for everyone to see.

Catching my concerns, the doctor smiled and reassured me. "We only used the best plastic surgeon for your treatment, Ms. Plum. The scar is not going to show for very long, trust me." I prayed that he was right and dropped my hand from the reminder of my attack.

A few minutes later and after quite a few questions, the doctor left the room stating that he was ordering some tests for me. As soon as he left, a nurse came in and got busy removing some of my wires and tubes. I wanted to talk to Les more, but I knew it was going to have to wait until after the tests were completed.

"I'm going to call the guys and let them know that you're awake. They threatened to kick my ass if I didn't call them as soon as your eyes opened." I rolled my eyes, but smiled at him. He walked to the corner of the room and made a call. He spoke in Spanish, but he was too far away for me to hear what he said.

"CAT Scan time, Ms. Plum, but I'll have you back here shortly." The nurse moved me to another gurney and got me comfortable. Les was still on the phone, so I waved to him before being rolled out of the room and toward the elevator.

The CT scan turned in to a whole gamut of other tests in numerous parts of the hospital, so it was three and a half hours later before I returned to my room. Waiting for me in my private suite was a wall of black clad Merry Men.

Cal, Hector, Woody, Zip, Ram, and Junior were smiling at me along with Tank, Bobby, Ranger and Lester. They all filled out the small room and the nurse took pause before pushing me all the way in.

Taking pity on the frightened nurse, I tilted my head back and spoke to her. "They can be intimidating, I know. But they are all giant teddy bears." I heard a collective groan and the nurse laughed.

"Intimidating? Hell, I was thinking how damn lucky you are to have a room full of gorgeous men." The nurse chuckled again and all the guys smiled at her. One Merry Man smiling is enough to make a woman swoon, but seeing ten was enough to make her push my bed into the wall and tip over my IV pump. I giggled as she apologized and quickly ran out of the room.

"That wasn't very nice guys. She was trying to help me." Bobby and Les got me situated back into my bed and the mess cleaned up before pushing the other gurney in the hallway.

Once I was comfortable, I got hugs and kisses from each of the men in the room. Each said a few words to me that had tears swimming in my eyes. Hector stepped up and leaned down to whisper into my ear. "I hear you shocked him. Good job, Angelita!" I placed a kiss on his cheek and rubbed the tear drop tattoos under his eye.

Les was the last one to hug and kiss me, but he didn't get up off my bed after. He positioned himself against the headboard and snuggled me into his warm embrace. I was, once again, in heaven.

All of the guys stayed and chatted with each other and me for a long time. It was like they didn't want to leave. They each needed assurance that I was okay. The doctor came back a few hours later and pushed everyone out of the room except Les and Ranger who both adamantly refused to leave.

"Okay, Ms. Plum. Everything looks good with your tests, your wound is healing well, and there is nothing else wrong with you. You're here for tonight and then if you can eat tomorrow's breakfast, you'll be free to go home." I smiled big at Les who looked beyond relieved. I knew he hadn't left my side in the two weeks that I'd been in the hospital

"Is there need for after discharge care?" Ranger asked before the doctor could leave the room.

"There shouldn't be. Your medic, Brown, has talked to me about what to look for. He's prepared if anything should happen." Ranger looked satisfied and the doctor left us.

"Can I ask a favor, Babe?" Ranger sat on the side of my bed and took my hand. I nodded and he continued. "Will you stay at RangeMan? You can stay with Les or there is an open apartment next to him. Bobby would be close if you needed anything." I honestly didn't think it was that big of a deal. Bobby was only a ten minute drive away from my normal apartment, but the hopeful look in Les' eyes made up my mind.

"I'll stay with Les that is if it's okay with him." He smiled a full smile and kissed me hard.

"It's more than okay." I thought I should make myself clear about the new living arrangements before he got too excited.

"But, it's only for a little while. When Bobby says that it's okay to go back to my apartment, I'm going back there." Les was good at masking his emotions, but I caught the hurt look on his face. I knew I needed to explain myself better after Ranger left.

"I'll have Ella go pack up some clothes from your apartment. She's going to love cooking for you." Ranger stood up off the bed and gave me a kiss on the forehead before walking out of the room.

I snuggled back into Les' arms and let out a deep contended sigh. This was exactly where I wanted to be. We sat in silence for several minutes, but I could feel the questions rolling off of Les. We needed to work some things out before I got sleepy and passed out on him.

Letting out a sigh I turned in his arms and snuggled against his chest. "You know I love you, right?" I felt him nod and continued. "Are you upset that I said I was going back to my apartment after Bobby says it's okay?" Another nod then a sigh came from Les. "Can I tell you why I feel that way?" Silence then another nod.

"My first year of college, I met a guy named Mark. We fell in love fast and hard and I moved in with him the second semester of freshman year. I gave up my dorm room, because he had an apartment off campus that I stayed at most nights anyway. I didn't tell my parents about him because, honestly, I didn't think they would approve of him. He was into the punk rock, so he had tattoos and body piercings. I didn't care, but my parents are old school." I took a minute to center myself. I had never spoken about my relationship with Mark to anyone. Not even my best friend knew everything that happened. I was suddenly scared that Les might think different of me after hearing everything.

He caught my hesitation and placed a kiss on my head. "Nothing you say will make me love you less, Beautiful. I know this is hard." He kissed me again and squeezed me into his side.

"Mark and I lived together for two and a half years. He put a ring on my finger, and I thought I had found the person I was meant to be with. It turns out that I was way wrong." I felt the tear escape from my eye, but I didn't have the energy to stop it. "The summer before our senior year, I was working at a record store down the street from where we lived and Mark stayed home, most days, deciding what he wanted to do after graduation. I thought everything was going great, but I was wrong. When I got home from work one night, all of his things were gone. His clothes, his movies, his CD's, everything was gone. He left me a note breaking up with me and told me to pawn the ring and that the lease on the apartment ended later that month."

I wiped a few tears from my face and continued the story. "I was heartbroken. He didn't tell me where he went or why. I couldn't afford to live in his apartment without him and I had nowhere else to go. I stopped talking to my friends when Mark and I started dating and there was no way I couldn't tell my parents what happened. I was ashamed and humiliated and homeless." I paused again and gathered my thoughts. Talking about my past was always hard.

After several silent minutes, Les' concerned voice filed the small room. "What did you do?"

Wiping away some tears, I sighed and finished that part of my story. "I pawned the damn engagement ring and found a tiny apartment close to campus. I worked my ass off to keep paying rent and kept my grades up. It sucked, but I did it." Those months were the hardest of my life, up until that point, but I was proud of myself for surviving.

"I'm proud of you too. Did you ever see him again?" I let out another long sigh and shook my head.

"Nope, I found out when classes started that he dropped everything that he was scheduled for. No one saw him again. He disappeared." I whispered the last words out because the pain was still raw and it still hurt.

"I'm sorry that your first experience with love turned out so badly. Do you think that the same thing is going to happen now?" Les tried to hide it, but I could still hear the hurt behind his words.

"Mark was just the first person to make me doubt love. The second was the Dick. I met him right after I graduated college and started working for E.E. Martin. He was the first guy that I went out with after Mark. I never really loved him, but my mom was so happy for us and he was a lawyer, so I agreed when he asked to marry me. For the first time in my life, I made my mom happy even though I wasn't. The wedding was all planned by my mother; I simply showed up and said 'I do'. I gave up my apartment and moved in with him after the wedding and tried to live happily ever after. That ended when I found him fucking Joyce on the dining room table. Once again, I was heartbroken and homeless." I let out a sigh hoping Les understood at least some of my hesitations.

"It's not that I don't trust you, because I do. I know that you would never hurt me like they did, but I have this fear of being left alone and homeless again. I don't ever want to have that feeling. I want to live with you while I heal, but I can't give up my apartment and make it permanent...yet. Can you understand that?" Les was quiet for a few minutes working out my question.

Les voice was quiet and supportive when he answered. "I understand, Baby, and I can't say that I blame you. If I was in your position, then I would feel the same way." I smiled and snuggled into him more. I was happy that he understood and accepted my silly fears.

"I have a solution to this problem. How about I move in with you?" To say I was shocked would be an understatement. My mouth hung open, my eyes bugged out and I was barely breathing. Les chuckled and closed my mouth with a finger.

"Why would you move in with me? Your apartment at RangeMan is one thousand times better than my stupid small apartment. I don't even want to live there." Les laughed loudly and kissed my head.

"I want to be wherever you are, and if it's in that apartment then that's where I'll be. I want you to be comfortable and I don't think you will be any place else." He was right, but I had a thought.

"Let's compromise." I felt Les smile beside me. "Let's spend the time that I'm staying with you at RangeMan finding a new place for us to live. My salary is good enough now that I work with you that I can afford something better." Les started to talk, but I stopped him.

"The only rule is that I have to be able to afford it on my own. You can help pay for the groceries if you want, but I have to be able to pay for the rent. Deal?" I was nervous. I wasn't sure if he would accept my idea.

"I love it, Beautiful. You've got yourself a deal." My heart nearly exploded with happiness. I was so excited that he'd agreed to it. I wanted to live with him, but I had to know that I could make it on my own too.

Maneuvering myself into a sitting position, I swung my leg over Les' body and straddled his lap. My blue eyes locked onto his twinkling green eyes. We sat for several minutes both quietly staring at each other. My hands were resting on either side of his face and his were gripping my hips, warning me not to move. I could already feel him harden underneath me and as much as I wanted him, I knew that we weren't in the right place to take care of those needs.

Les' whispered words broke through the silence and made me smile at my gorgeous man."I love you, Stephanie Plum."

There was no hesitation in my response. "And I love you, Lester Santos." I slowly brought my lips to meet his in a tender kiss filled with the love that we both just spoke of.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

Sorry this is so late today. My husband is home for the holiday and I lost track of time. Thank you all so much for your reviews and fav/follows. I'm glad that you all are enjoying Les and Steph's story so well. I promised some more angst and it's coming. If you all know me, then you know to expect it. =D

There's some smut towards the bottom so watch out for little eyes reading over your shoulders.

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**Chapter 15**

**SPOV**

The weeks following my release from the hospital were filled with complete and utter boredom. After being cleared by Bobby and after some begging, Ranger put me on light duty. I was excited to go back to work until I found out my new assignment consisted of doing searches or watching the monitors. Both made my ass fall asleep, and both bored me to tears.

Right after I started working at RangeMan, I found that I had a knack with the searches. I could put together bits and pieces of information that the guys often overlooked. Many of them brought me their hard cases and I often cracked them after only a few hours. Since I started working with the guys, RangeMan had raised their capture rate in Trenton to one hundred percent. Even the Miami branch used me to get their rate up over ninety percent too. The company made big bucks and that made Ranger happy. When Ranger was happy, everyone was happy.

After work and during our days off, Les and I looked for an apartment to live in. After weeks of searching, we found nothing that suited us. The places available were too small, too expensive or too far away from the office. I was beyond frustrated and those frustrations were evident to anyone who spoke to me. The guys were helpful at first, but stopped when I went off on Ram for suggesting we buy a house in the Burg. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate his help, but I refused to go back to that neighborhood.

I honestly tried not to be such a colossal bitch, but I just couldn't help it. We weren't finding what we wanted and it was pissing me off royally. Bobby was just about ready to release me back to full duty and I wanted to have our place by then, but since we hadn't found anything, I guessed Les was going to be stuck living with me in Chez' crap or at least that's what I thought. One Monday, I got a call during my lunch break that changed my life.

"Yo." I knew I'd been working for the company too long when I started answering my phone like the rest of the guys.

"Hey, Beautiful, how is your day?" I could hear the smile in Les' voice and it made me smile.

"Better now that I got to hear your sexy voice. Are you and Bobby staying out of trouble?" They had been sent on an installation early that morning, so I hadn't even seen him.

"As best we can, but I've got good news though." I always liked getting good news. It usually made a crap day better.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me! I need a dose of happy." Les laughed at my obvious excitement but then his voice got serious and turned husky.

"I thought I gave you enough happy last night. Are you saying I left you unsatisfied?" I knew he was teasing, but the way he said that last word ruined my panties.

"You never leave me unsatisfied, my yummy man. In fact, you can give me another dose of that happy when you get back." I purred into the phone making Les growl. Somehow we got off track and I still needed to hear the good news. "So are you going to tell me the good news or are we going to practically have phone sex?" I could hear Les and Bobby both laugh and I wondered if I was on speaker phone.

"I think I found us a place to live. It's a nice house in the neighborhood we did the installation in today. You have to come see it." My heart sank, I couldn't afford a nice house on my salary alone.

"Les, you know I can't afford a house payment." I went from excited to pissed off in a second. I honestly thought he understood everything.

"Before you get mad, just listen. The current owner is desperate to sell because her husband got a job in Texas and she's stuck here until the house sells. It's priced way under its true value, and I worked the numbers in my head and you can afford it. It would only be slightly more expensive than the rat trap you live in now." I started listening again, but didn't get my hopes up. It sounded too good to be true.

"Tell me the address and I'll come see it. I'm not getting my hopes up though." Les rattled off the location and I promised to get there as soon as I could. Shutting down my computer, I went to find my temporary partner, so we could leave. It didn't matter that I was leaving on personal business, I always took my partner. I grabbed Zip and let Ranger know where we were headed. Zip drove, since he knew the area better. Apparently RangeMan does a lot of business there. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that. I wondered if the neighborhood was safe or if the people there were just paranoid.

I stopped paying attention to where we were and instead looked at the big houses in the area. Before I knew it, we pulled up in front of a large Colonial style home. The plot the house sat on was huge and the home looked immaculate, so there was no way I could afford it. Zip and I climbed out of the SUV and were met by a smiling Les. He looked more excited than a kid on Christmas morning.

"Ready to take a look, Beautiful?" I wasn't as happy as he was, so I simply nodded and walked through the front door. Les introduced me to the owner who was a very attractive woman. Her long blonde hair was perfect and shiny, and she had a dancer's body that made me want to claw her eyes out. She never once looked twice at the guys though, which impressed me. I figured either she truly loved her husband, or she was secretly gay. Either way, I didn't have to worry about her looking at Les.

She gave us the full tour and showed us around the entire house along with the grounds. I fell in love with it immediately. It had 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. The kitchen was large and open and it had a formal dining room. The master suite was bigger than my entire apartment and don't even get me started on the master bathroom. The basement held a huge game room and home gym which was perfect for Les. But what made me fall in love with the house was the back yard.

It was huge and well landscaped with a privacy fence around it. The pool outside was the focal point of the space, but when my eyes landed on in ground hot tub, I swear I drooled. I knew Les and I could have some fun in there.

The house was amazing and I loved it, but seeing everything just reinforced my initial thought. I couldn't afford it. Letting out a long sigh, I turned to the owner. "Thank you for your time, but I don't think this is what I'm looking for." I turned to walk toward the front door but Les stopped me.

"What's wrong, Beautiful? I thought you would love this place." That was the problem. I did love it!

"I do love it. It's everything that I've ever wanted. I can't afford it." Les could see the frustration and pulled me into his arms.

"I told you that you could. You're getting a raise at RangeMan soon and you've got a hell of a nest egg for a down payment. I've worked it all out and you can afford this. I wouldn't have brought you here if you couldn't." God I loved him. He always knew just what to say to calm me down.

"Are you sure? I need to see the numbers before I get too excited." Les shot me his killer smile and led me back into the kitchen where he had papers lined up neatly for me to look over.

"The owner and I have talked. Let me show you what I came up with." Les walked me through the numbers that he'd discussed with the owner. Zip was behind me checking his math. It wasn't that I didn't trust Les, but Zip was a mathlete in school. He loved numbers.

After going over everything with Les and Zip, I was convinced that I could do it. I made enough each month to afford the mortgage and any other bills that came with home ownership. I didn't have a car payment because I use the company SUV. I even had some extra money left over at the end of each month for shoes and clothes. A glimmer of hope shot through my heart looking over everything a third time. It was a big decision and I didn't want to rush it, so we asked the owner to give us a day or two to think about it and we all left.

Les and I spent that night taking and it didn't take us long to come to a decision. We called the owner back later that same evening and told her to expect a check the next day. Ranger agreed to do a personal loan for the price of the house, so there was no need for us to go through the loan process. I wasn't too thrilled about it, but he explained that he wasn't getting very good interest rates for his investments, so we worked out a lucrative deal that benefited both parties. He was happy, I was happy...it worked.

The next day, Les and I took the owner a check, signed some papers and became home owners. The owner asked for a month to get moved out, so we allowed her that time to get her things in order. Apparently, she and her husband had been separated for nine months since he got a new job in Texas. She was beyond excited to see him again, so she and the moving company had everything out in two weeks. She even paid for a professional cleaner to come in and make sure everything was clean.

During those two weeks, Les took me shopping for new furniture. I tried to object, but he insisted on buying me some house-warming gifts as he called them. I didn't let him buy me everything, but he bought a lot. I felt bad that he was spending money on me, but he looked happy, so I let it go.

A month after I bought the house, all the furniture was delivered and we were ready to move in. Les and I packed up my meager belongings at my apartment and we cleaned out his unit at RangeMan. The guys helped us celebrate our new living arrangements with a huge party our first night at home.

I ordered pizzas from Pino's and Tank brought the beer. It was too cold to swim, but we enjoyed the rest of the house. I really got to see the guys let loose and relax that night and I hoped that they continued to use our house as a place to do it. I loved my big loud family.

Les made everyone leave well after midnight. I was beyond exhausted and wanted nothing but sleep, however, the look in his eyes made me think that sleep wasn't going to happen any time soon.

"You know, Beautiful, we have a whole house we have to christen now. We spent weeks making sure every surface in each of our apartments got...utilized." He was stalking me around the couch as he spoke. The predatory gleam in his eye made my legs quiver with need and sent a gush of wetness to the place between them.

"We've got the rest of our lives to christen the house, Sexy. Let's just worry about the bedroom right now." I took off running toward the stairs at his growl. He caught me on the fifth step and threw me over his shoulders and continued up the stairs. I giggled and watched his entirely too sexy ass move under his jeans. I squealed when his hand smacked my ass which only made him do it again.

Before I knew it, he tossed me onto the luscious king sized bed and Lester's gorgeous body was covering mine. His lips met mine in a hungry kiss making me moan in anticipation. I felt his tongue trace my lips and I opened my mouth allowing him entrance. I pulled him further down on top of me and ran my hand up under his shirt to feel his tight muscles. I needed to feel his skin.

**LPOV**

That night, I had a mantra. I chanted, 'You will not cream in your jeans', over and over, but what that woman did to me was enough to kill a mortal man. She had no idea how her moans and her touches effected me. She had no idea that just having her bite my bottom lip like she did was almost too much. That move alone made me want to rip her clothes off and fuck her senseless.

Control! I needed to get some control back. I unwrapped her arms from around me and pushed them up over her head. Her hot little hands couldn't touch me anymore if I wanted to gain some control. "Keep them up there, no touching until I say." Stephanie nodded her understanding with wide eyes. We'd played that game before and she remembered the rewards of playing along.

I kissed her ear and sucked the lobe in between my teeth, biting gently. I had no clue that someone's ears could be that sensitive, but once I had learned that tidbit I made sure to use that knowledge to my advantage. It was like her ears and the spot behind them were her ignition. If I wanted her engine warm and ready, I just had to focus my attention on those areas. Her loud moans always made me smile.

Reluctantly, I moved away from her ears and worked my lips and teeth down her jaw passing her lips, for the moment. I kissed down her neck and gently traced my tongue over the scar that was still visible. Stephanie was very self-conscious about it and the first time that I kissed it, she freaked out. She'd gotten more comfortable with it as time went on and I think she understood that seeing it didn't turn me off. It actually turned me on more because when I saw it, I thought about how I almost lost her.

Sitting up, Stephanie whimpered at the loss, but it was necessary to remove the barriers between us. I tore off her shirt and unsnapped her bra, throwing them both across the room. It was time to feast on my woman's breasts. I know she thought they were too small, but I thought they were perfect. They fit perfectly in my hands. The creamy skin stood out in stark contrast to her dark nipples and I loved watching those nipples harden into tight nubs from the smallest amount of attention. I trailed my tongue around one breast starting underneath and making wide circles to cover almost every inch of it. My hand worked the other nipple between two fingers so it wouldn't feel left out. I knew how to make my Baby purr and purr she did.

She squirmed and moaned under my touch and I loved every single second of it. Her back kept arching, trying to direct my mouth to where she wanted it. But she wasn't in control tonight, I was.

"Please, Les." She started begging early, causing me to smile against her skin. It usually took longer to get her that worked up. I smiled and sucked her nipple into my hot mouth and listened to her long moan. She was beyond ready and I hadn't even taken her pants off or touched her below the waist.

Instead of hurrying, I switched breasts and paid it the same loving attention its twin got. By the time that I sucked that nipple into my mouth, my Beautiful was panting and begging like I'd never heard her before.

Deciding it was time to put her out of her misery, I pulled away again, sank down to the foot of the bed and pulled her down to me. I wanted to taste her. I removed her jeans and scrap of panties with an expert quickness and then placed her long legs over my shoulders. Her perfect ass fit perfectly in my hands as I tilted her hips up and lowered my tongue to her swollen nub.

I could see and smell the moisture that she created, and it was all for me. That thought alone made me starving for her and I attacked. I used my tongue, lips, teeth, and fingers to bring her higher and higher. I would back off each and every time she got close to flying. I wanted her to experience heaven. After about the fourth or fifth time I backed off (I stopped counting), Steph got fed up with my games.

"If you don't let me fucking cum then I'm going to kill you and then finish the job myself!" Her voice was angry, and I could hear the frustration behind her words. It made me smile.

"As you wish, my Love." I curled my fingers inside of her and brushed over her g-spot as I bit down on her clit, gently. She screamed as she came; her walls pulsing around my fingers as they continued to stroke inside of her. I licked every ounce of juice that I could from her. She was the best tasting thing in the world to me.

When she finally came down from her orgasm, I removed my fingers and licked them clean. The look in her eyes was just about enough to make me cream my jeans again. She looked ready to pounce on me in any second, so I quickly removed my shoes and pants while I got her positioned in the middle of the bed again. It was time for me to go home.

It dawned on me one lazy day that men were born between a woman's legs and we spend our entire lives trying to get back in them. Plunging my throbbing cock into Steph's warmth was just like coming home.

Her tightness from her recent orgasm was almost too much so I chanted my mantra some more as I pushed in until our hips met. I stilled, enjoying of the feeling of her stretching around me. Knowing that I filled her so completely was an amazing feeling. Her hands came down and almost touched me before I stopped her. "No, no, no, keep them up, Beautiful. You can't touch until I say so." She groaned, but raised her arms again in submission. She knew if she did it again, she got the cuffs put on. Maybe that's what she was going for.

"Move, Maestro." Steph's strangled voice caused me to chuckle.

I started moving inside her. Slow at first. Pulling all the way out and then inching my way back in. I couldn't even begin to describe the feeling. I knew Steph loved it, but she was getting frustrated at the slow pace. Getting brave, she wrapped her legs around me and angled her hips up so I could go deeper. She was playing dirty. She knew how to make me lose control. I had to pause and take some deep breaths to gather some strength. I didn't want it to end too soon, but Steph got impatient and began moving her hips against me. She was grinding herself on my cock and I let her have that little bit of control. She felt too good to stop her.

"Les, Baby." She used her seductress voice and I knew she was getting desperate.

"Yeah, my Love?" I smirked and looked deep into her eyes. She knew that I would do anything she asked. I figured she planned to use that card then.

"I need you to do something for me." She rose up and kissed me. Her hot tongue traced down my jaw.

"Anything." My words came out of my mouth in a rushed breath. I knew that I'd be losing control in 5 seconds or less.

"FUCK ME! Fuck me hard and fuck me fast, Maestro." I was right. Control was gone.

"As you wish." She smiled right before I crushed my lips to hers. My hips set a bruising pace, but she matched me thrust for thrust. My cock pounded into her as her moans and cries of pleasure drove me insane.

I knew we were both close and I knew how I wanted to end it. "Touch me, Beautiful." At my command, her hands went to the places that only she knows about. The places that she knew drove me absolutely crazy. One hand pulled on my nipple and the other griped the base of my neck, pulling me down and kissing me fiercely.

Those two seemingly innocent actions were enough to send me over the edge as I felt her walls clenching around me. Steph screaming my name intensified my orgasm and sent another shot of cum deep inside her making her walls tighten once again.

As we both came down, I continued to slowly move inside her as her muscles milked every ounce of cum out of me. We both stilled and I collapsed on top of her small body. I always thought that I was going to smother her, but she insisted that I stayed like that for a few minutes. She called it her personal slice of heaven. Who was I to deny her that? The only sound in the room was our heavy breathing and a few whispered curses.

"Fuck, Les. Were you trying to kill me tonight?" I chuckled and rolled off my woman. She tucked herself into my side and draped her leg over mine. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her even closer to me.

"Never, Beautiful, I was just trying to not leave you unsatisfied." I felt her roll her eyes and had to chuckle.

"Like that has EVER happened. I swear you're a sex god sent here to torture and pleasure me at the same time." I laughed out loud. She knew exactly what to say to stroke my ego. She made me feel like a sex god.

"I love you, Steph. You know just what to say to make me feel like I'm the king of the world." I was still laughing, but I meant every word. I felt her kiss my chest and snuggled back down into my arms.

"I love you, too. You are my king and I'm your naughty queen." She giggled as I smacked her on her bare ass.

"Naughty queens need spanking. Are you sure that you're naughty?" She pretended to think about it and then rolled over onto her stomach and put her ass right up in the air.

"I'm very naughty." Fuck! I had to start another mantra, ' I will not cum so early, I will not cum so early.' I growled as I positioned myself behind her and pushed my already throbbing erection into her. If she wanted some spankings, who was I to deny her? After all, she was my queen!

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A/N - I'll have the next chapter out earlier on Wednesday. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Mermorial day. Remember what this day means and honor those heroes.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

Thank you all for the reviews! You all are amazing! Here is the next chapter and the first Plum family dinner...hope you all enjoy!

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**Chapter 16**

**SPOV**

The first month living with Les in our house was positively amazing. We spent the days at the office, each working our own assigned duties. Since Les was in charge of client relations, he spent a lot of time out of the office, so we rarely saw each other after our goodbye kiss in the elevator. We did however make it a point to at least call each other once during the work day. It was enough just hearing his voice on the other end of the call. Some days, that was enough to turn my bad day to perfect.

The nights that first month we spent christening every surface and room in our house. We'd barely get inside the door before our clothes went flying across the room. Les took me to heights that I'd never experienced and I made sure to return the favor for him. Nothing was taboo with us and I loved every second of it.

Right after we moved in, my mother called demanding to know why her daughter was living in sin and why she had to hear about it from the neighbor. I guess the news of my home ownership had spread through the Burg and I was shocked that it took so long for her to call and inquire about it. She ordered me to dinner with my new sin-mate, but we didn't go the night she demanded our appearance.

It wasn't that I didn't love my family because I did. It was just...I couldn't stand my mother. I was never good enough for her and had never done anything to make her happy. I was nothing but a giant disappointment to her since my birth. She never even attempted to visit me while I was in the hospital.

Ranger informed me that he'd notified my parents after the incident at the bar. He even talked to my father daily and kept him up to date about my recovery. My Dad and Grandma came to visit me once after I woke up. Les had stepped out so they didn't get to meet him then, but I made sure to tell them all about him. My Dad and Grandma were always my biggest supporters and it was because of them that I finally agreed to put Les through hell.

After a conversation with my Dad, I finally agreed to take Les to Sunday dinner at my parents'. He actually looked forward to meeting my family even though I'd tried to warn him how disastrous they were. He just laughed and said that he loved disastrous. That dinner tested that love of his.

I was a nervous wreck and was frantically running around trying to get dressed for the dinner from hell. Les lounged on the bed, dressed in khaki chinos and a gorgeous green button up shirt that matched his eyes. I took a pause from my chaotic dressing to admire his sexiness and then shook my head. I didn't have time to get distracted.

Les read my mind and chuckled. "Calm down, Beautiful. Everything's going to be fine." I gave him a Burg death glare, but he resisted it. He had a tendency to do that.

"It's not going to be fine. It's going to be hell. No...It's going to be worse than hell; it's going to be like watching the 'Twilight' movies." Les let out a loud laugh and stood up off the bed to take me into his arms. He hugged to me him and I immediately calmed.

"It's going to be fine." He kissed me deep and then pushed me towards the closet.

"Wear that white dress you wore on our first date. You looked sexy as hell in that dress." I looked at him like he was crazy. I couldn't wear white after Labor Day!

I chose to wear a dark blue wrap around dress that was almost the same style as the white one. It was casual enough to be comfortable, yet dressy enough to appease my mom. That was really all that mattered. I had to please my mother.

After I'd fixed my hair and make-up, I was finally ready to go. Les had to pull me out to the SUV, because I kept making excuses to delay leaving. I honestly didn't want to go.

The drive to my parents was entirely too fast for my taste. When we pulled up and parked in front of the house, my mother and Grandma Mazur were waiting at the door. It was some twisted form of radar that let them know when I was close. It always kind of freaked me out.

"Baby?" Les waved a hand in front of my face.

"What?" I shook the cobwebs out of my head and looked into his worried eyes.

"I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes." I looked at him and shrugged. "Your Mom looks like she's about to send the rescue team to get us. Are you ready to go inside?" I looked past him to where my Mom was tapping her foot impatiently and glaring at the SUV.

Letting out a sigh of resignation, I opened my door. "Let's get this over with so we can go home." I started to get out of the car and then remembered something I wanted to say. I put my hand on Les' arm to get his attention. "I want to apologize to you now for anything that my Mom says that offends you. Her beliefs are not mine. I love you no matter what. Got it?"

He smiled at me and nodded. "Got it, Beautiful." Les walked around the car to help me out and we both walked up to the door hand in hand. We didn't even get to the top step before my mother started her rant.

"Can you tell me why I must have the daughter who chooses to live in sin? Can you tell my why my daughter has to have such a dangerous job and gets hospitalized? Can you tell me why my daughter has yet to make a home for her and her husband? You are the last girl in your graduating class to be married and have babies. Are you trying to humiliate me?" Les stood behind me and squeezed me into his body while we listened to her rant.

"Mom, this is Lester Santos. Les, my Mom, Helen Plum." Les extended his hand but my mother just glared at him with a look of disdain in her eyes.

"And who is this young man to you? Besides a thug and killer?" I tensed and started to say something, but Les' voice stopped me.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Plum. Since we're working off first impressions, I'm going to say that you must be a cold heartless bitch." Her mouth dropped open and I struggled to hold back a giggle.

"Mom, Les and I live together. He's my boyfriend and the love of my life." I turned to look at him as I spoke and watched his hard eyes soften at my words.

"Oh yes, living in sin with a man who isn't good enough to cut the grass." I tensed again, but my father's voice stopped my words this time.

"Put a sock in it, Helen. Lester is more than good enough for Stephanie. If you would let them inside and spent some time getting to know the boy, then you might see that for yourself." My mother turned and huffed off towards the kitchen. Dinner was due on the table in less than five minutes and I knew she wouldn't be late.

"Frank Plum. It's nice to finally meet the man who holds my Baby's heart." My father shook Lester's hand and then hugged me.

"It's good to meet you, Sir. Steph's told me a lot about you." Daddy kissed my head and smiled at me.

"It's Frank, Son. I haven't been called Sir since my military days." Dad led us inside and right to the table. My grandma sat sweetly in the chair, quiet as a school mouse. I wondered what she was up to.

"Grandma, this is the guy I've been telling you about, Lester Santos." She smiled and struggled a little to stand. Les, seeing her struggle, rushed to her side to help her. His face paled when she cupped the front of his pants with her little wrinkled hand. And then he actually squeaked when she pinched his ass.

Clicking her dentures at me, Grandma smiled. "Baby Granddaughter, you've got yourself a hell of a man. Nice package, firm ass, and looks good too! Maybe I need to find me a Mexican. Are they all this good-looking?" I had to giggle at Les' look of absolute horror.

"Grandma, please leave Les alone. He's not used to your forwardness yet." She let out a laugh and slapped him on the cheek.

"He better get used to it if he's going to be part of this family." She hurried to the kitchen to help mom and I went to help Les. He looked frozen in place.

"Are you okay, Baby? My grandma is a little...unique." I pulled him down into the seat beside me and rested my hand on his upper thigh.

"She felt my..." He gulped and then turned to look at me. "Then she pinched my..." I giggled and kissed his lips. I leaned in close to whisper into his ear.

"I promise to erase every bad memory of my grandma molesting you later tonight." I felt a shudder go through him and his eyes darkened. I successfully snapped him out of his shocked stupor.

My mom and grandma brought out diner a few minutes later and we all got situated to eat. My mother was drinking straight whiskey and looked madder than I'd ever seen her. "So, tell me about yourself, Mr. Santos." Her words were cold and clipped.

"Please call me Les. My parents died when I was eight and my aunt and uncle took me in and raised me after that. Their son became like a brother to me and I followed him into some pretty bad things. Then I followed him into the Army. We spent years as Rangers doing things that I can't speak of. When he retired to start his security company, I followed him to Miami first and then to Trenton. I work with a great group of guys. I met your daughter by chance and fell in love with her. You raised a wonderful woman." Mom scoffed at that statement and glared at us holding hands.

"So, are you going to marry my daughter or just live like sinners for the rest of your life?" I rolled my eyes and squeezed Les' hand. I didn't need to have a ring on my finger to be happy, but my mom was old-fashioned like that.

"Not that it's any of your business, but we'll get married someday." Les paused and looked at my mom intently. "I'm telling the truth, Mrs. Plum. I love your daughter and I will for the rest of my life. She's everything that I've ever wanted and I refuse to let her go."

"Well, we'll just see about that. Every man she's ever dated has left her. What makes you any different?" My eyes got big and Les narrowed his eyes at my mom.

"Don't you ever suggest that it was in any way Stephanie's fault that those assholes left her! I'm different because I actually love your daughter. Those others didn't or they never would have treated her the way they did. I would ask you if you really love her, but it's painfully obvious that you don't." I could feel the tension rising in the room and started to fidget in my chair.

"She's my daughter, of course I love her." Mom's voice was shrill and made me cringe. She sounded so indignant.

"Then maybe you should take a look at how you treat her, because from where I'm sitting...it's not very clear that you even care about her, let alone love her." Les started to calm down and picked up his fork to continue eating. My mother sat with her mouth hanging open. I think this was the first time I'd ever seen my mom rendered speechless. My grandma looked around with a smile on her face. She enjoyed drama.

We finished the rest of the meal in complete silence and when we were all finished, my mother stood to clear the plates. "Stephanie, will you help me in the kitchen with dessert?" My mother was a domestic goddess and I knew that she didn't need help, she wanted to yell at me some more. Sighing, I stood up, dropped a kiss on Les' head and followed her into the kitchen.

My mom had her back turned to me with her hands planted firmly on the counter. Her head hung down and her whole posture screamed defeat. I didn't really know what to do. We weren't an emotionally expressive family, but it looked like she needed a hug. I took a step forward but her voice stopped my forward progress.

"Do you honestly think that I don't love you?" Her words sounded full of hurt.

I didn't know how to answer that. Usually, I would dodge the question or lie to her, but I decided to be honest. "Well, sometimes it seems that I'm nothing but a disappointment to you." I wasn't ready for the look on her face when she turned to look at me. She was crying. I'd never seen my mom cry. Not even at her father's funeral.

"I've never thought that you were a disappointment, Stephanie. I haven't been happy with your choices sometimes, but that doesn't mean that I don't love you." I sat at the kitchen table and hung my head. That was the place where my mom and I had spent time talking while I was growing up.

"Why didn't you come to the hospital to visit me?" If I was honest, knowing that she didn't care enough to come and see if I was okay hurt more than anything.

My mother sighed and sank into the chair next to me. "I wanted to. I wanted to rush there the night that your boss called, but then I remembered when you were six." I didn't understand, so I just looked at her. "You jumped off the garage roof and broke your arm when you were six. I rushed you to the hospital and stayed with you all day and night while they operated on you to fix your arm. Your father was out of the country and couldn't be there. When you woke up and saw me sitting next to you, you cried. You cried for your Daddy and it broke my heart that you wouldn't let me comfort you." Tears filled her eyes again.

"Just because I wanted my Daddy, didn't mean that I didn't NEED my Mom. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I was six years old." I placed my hand on top of hers and squeezed.

"I know that. When your boss called and spoke to your father, I was so scared for you. Like I said, I wanted to come see you, but I figured that you were in good hands. You weren't really speaking to me at the time, so I didn't even know if you wanted me there." She let out a long sigh. "I haven't really been the best mom, have I Stephanie?"

Her words shocked me and I really didn't know what to say. Finally after several minutes of silence, I decided to keep with the honesty. "You've been an amazing mom...to Valerie. To me, not so much; but now is a perfect time to start." Tears came to her eyes again and she pulled me into a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Stephanie, for all the hateful and hurtful things that I've said to you. It took your young man telling me that he didn't think I even cared about you for me to realize that maybe I wasn't acting like your mom."

I sniffed back some tears. "It's okay, Mom. Les has a way of making you see things that you might not want to. He really is an amazing man and I really do love him. I hope you can accept him." I was really worried about the last request.

"Of course I can accept him." She pulled away and swiped away her tears. "You love him and he obviously loves you. NO one has ever stood up to me before. I'm very impressed." I had to giggle because it was true. No one had the balls to cross Helen Plum, except Lester Santos. "He's ridiculously good-looking too. Honestly, what man needs to look that good?" She fanned herself and I laughed out loud.

"Damn straight, Mom. I am one lucky woman." Mom laughed with me and patted my cheek.

"You are lucky, Stephanie, and I'm very proud of you." My mother had never told me that before and hearing the words, sent me into a fresh course of tears. Les chose that moment to walk into the kitchen and misread the scene before him. I could feel the tension in the room immediately and stood to walk into his arms. His anger melted the second he saw my smile.

"Young Man, thank you for making me see the error of my treatment toward Stephanie. You truly love her, don't you?" Les looked shocked.

"Yes, ma'am I do. I would do anything for her." He kissed my head and held me tighter.

Mom watched us for a few minutes and then nodded her head. "Yep you will. Welcome to the family, Lester." She busied herself getting the dessert plates out. She passed those to me and we all walked back into the dinning room. Mom served my favorite dessert to everyone and we all finished our treats and had a very pleasant conversation. It felt good to finally be accepted and to know that I wasn't a disappointment. I knew our relationship would take time to repair, but it was a start.

After the dessert plates were practically licked clean, Les and my dad disappeared into the garage and I helped clean up the dinner mess. "So, when is the wedding?" My mom asked while we were drying the dishes.

"We haven't really talked about it. Les really hasn't even asked me to marry him." I let out a sigh. After that day in the hospital, we hadn't spoken about marriage or honeymoons again, and I wasn't sure if he just wasn't ready or if he was having second thoughts. Mom must have read the doubts on my face.

"It will come, Stephanie. Just have faith." She went back to drying the dishes and I sat to eat another piece of cake. Before I finished my treat, Les and my dad came back inside laughing and patting each other on the back. When Les saw me eating another piece of cake, he smiled and dipped to lick some whip cream off my lip. Sweet holy goodness, my panties about went up in smoke. I watched as his eyes darkened and knew we needed to get out of my parents' house and to our own home as quickly as possible.

"Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Helen. I need to get Steph home, so we're going to go. Why don't you all plan on coming over to the house this next weekend for lunch? I'm sure you would like to see where we live." My mother smiled and looked pleased with Les' request.

"We would love to. I'll bring dessert." Les nodded and pulled me out of the chair. I couldn't speak because I was afraid it would come out as a moan.

I kissed my family goodbye and watched as Les hugged and kissed my mom and grandma. Surprisingly, my grandma's hands stayed behind her. Les shook my father's hand and led me out to the waiting SUV.

We stopped by the passenger side of the vehicle. I leaned back against the cool metal and pulled Les in close to my body.

"Thank you." I whispered and kissed his lips.

"For what, Beautiful?" His lips were working down my face and across my jaw.

"For standing up for me, no one has done that for me before. You have no idea how much it means to me." His magic lips stopped kissing and he looked deep into my eyes.

"I will do anything...ANYTHING...to protect you from physical or emotional damage. I refuse to let anyone hurt you ever again. I love you too much." I smiled and kissed him with all the pent up passion that had built in me throughout the course of the evening.

I moaned as his teeth nipped my bottom lip. Dirty thoughts were running through my mind and I suddenly decided to be very brave. I brought my mouth to his ear to whisper my new idea. "New variation of an old game. You drive as fast as you can to the house, and I'll drive my fingers into my already drenched pussy. If I cum first, I get to be in control all night. If you get home first, I'm all yours. Interested in playing?" Les' growl told me the answer, but I moaned when I heard him speak.

"Fuck yeah I'm playing and you're going down!" Les kissed me roughly and ran around to the other side of the SUV. I hopped in and immediately pulled up my dress and started playing with my breasts. The windows were tinted, so I didn't worry about someone seeing in.

"No fair, Beautiful. You got a head start." I moaned as my fingers circled my clit.

"Quit bitching and start driving, unless, you're trying to lose." Les sat for a second watching me play with myself. The bulge in his pants was ready to explode through his zipper. I let out a deep soulful moan as I inserted two fingers inside of me. Les groaned and punched the accelerator to the floor and the race was on.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **Not mine and I'm making no money.

I'm so sorry for posting this so late today. I've got so many other things going on in my head and I totally forgot it was Friday! Thank you all for the reviews and fav/follows. You all sure know how to make a girl feel special.

You all asked for angst...well here ya go. =)

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**Chapter 17**

**SPOV**

After that first Plum family dinner, Les and I started going to visit my parents more. We spent at least one night every week having dinner with them. Les charmed the pants off my mom and grandma and had them both eating out his hand after that first visit. My mom even cooked Les his favorite Cuban dinner one night. I just shook my head because I couldn't believe she went through all the trouble of learning a brand new recipe just for him. Everyone seemed to enjoy it though. Even my dad asked her to make it again.

My mom and I's relationship was getting better. She still called me almost every day, but I didn't hear very many negative comments from her. She even said that she was proud of one of my apprehensions. Of course that story had to hit the front page of the paper and caused everyone to know exactly what happened.

To me, it wasn't a big deal. I just helped rescue two kidnapped girls from their pedophile uncle. The apprehension went like clockwork and I had the girls safely in my arms when the cameras arrived. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but the papers hailed me a hero. At least I made the guys and my mom proud of me. That was all I really cared about.

A few weeks after that takedown, Tank announced that he had hired three new men. They were due in that day for their entrance exams and we would all get to meet them after they were finished with the testing process. Since I still didn't have a permanent partner, I knew that one of those men would probably be my new partner. I was looking forward to meeting whoever it was.

Later that day, I heard a commotion around the fifth floor. Tank and Ranger exited the elevator followed by three other men. I couldn't really see them because the other guys were crowding to meet the newest recruits. I sat back at my desk and continued my searches. I figured would meet them later.

I stood from my desk reading a file when I heard a very familiar voice yell across the command floor. "Holy shit! That can't be my Tigress, can it?" There was only one person that called me Tigress and I hadn't seen or heard from him since he walked out of my life years ago.

Turning around slowly, I tried to keep my face as blank as possible, but I wasn't sure if I pulled it off. Sure enough, there stood Mark, my college boyfriend who disappeared without a trace. He ran up to me and pulled me into a tight hug, twirling me around. I instinctively wrapped my arms around him and held on.

I was dizzy when he finally stopped spinning. "Shit, Steph, it's good to see you! How the hell have you been?" Mark put me down and brushed a stray hair off my face.

Not knowing what to say, I decided to remember my manners and stay nice. "I've been good. How have you been?" He smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back. He was still the same person that I fell in love with years ago. He looked exactly the same, minus the nose, eyebrow and lip rings of course. Same dirty blonde hair that he styled in sexy spikes. It was the same hard body that I used to have every inch memorized. For a brief second, I wondered if he'd gotten rid of his other piercing and then I realized that I was thinking about another man's cock. Shaking that thought out of my head, I smiled at Mark.

He smiled back and traced his finger down my face. "I've been great. I didn't know that you worked here." He looked at me up and down and I saw the heat spark in his blue eyes.

"I've been working here for almost a year now. I love it." I turned to go back to my desk, but Mark held my arm and spun me back into him. He leaned down and whispered into my ear.

"You know...I've missed my Tigress. Are you ready to purr for me again?" I couldn't believe the nerve of him. He walked out of my life years before without a word and then he shows up out of the blue expecting me to jump back into his bed!

I smiled sweetly at him before standing up on my tip-toes so I could reach his ear. "I only purr for one man now, and you're not him." I whispered back and pulled out of his embrace. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work." I walked back to my desk praying that the tears building in my eyes didn't fall. I hated crying in front of the guys. I could feel Mark's eyes on me as I made my way back to my cubicle. I even heard one of the guys, Ram I think, ask Mark how he knew me. I didn't wait to hear his response though. There was only one voice that I needed to hear.

Seeing Mark again brought up all the old feelings of inadequacy and I needed a dose of my man to right my emotions, but since Les was out of the office at a client meeting, I had to settle for calling him. I dialed his number and waited for him to answer. What I heard on the other end of the phone made my blood turn cold.

"Hello, this is the phone of the legendary Sexy Santos. How can I help you?" The very feminine voice rang through my ears and I couldn't find my voice to speak. "Hello? Is anyone there?" She spoke again, obviously annoyed that I interrupted whatever she was doing with the sexy Santos.

"Who's on the phone, Honey?" That was the voice that I so longed to hear, but he was calling another woman honey! He was with another woman or was I the other woman? I was so confused and so hurt.

"I don't know. The caller ID said RangeMan, but there's no one there." I couldn't put the phone down, but I couldn't talk either. When I heard Les take his phone away from the mysterious woman, I slammed the phone I was holding into the cradle. I had to get away. I grabbed my purse and took off toward the elevator. I saw the questioning glances from the guys, but I didn't bother stopping to tell them anything.

Hopping into my assigned SUV, I took off out of the garage like a bat out of hell. I needed space and I needed to think. I drove to my parent's house and parked the SUV in front. I ran inside and told my mom that I was taking my old car for the day. I knew the SUV was probably loaded with trackers and I didn't want anyone knowing where I was. I hoped into my old Pinto with the colorful new artwork and drove toward Point Pleasant. The beach always calmed me and I needed calm right then. I made sure to leave my purse and all my RangeMan stuff in the SUV so there was no way for anyone to find me.

When I got to the beach, I pulled into a public lot and parked my POS car in the back corner. I ran as fast as I could to the water's edge and since it was cold outside, the beach was empty. There was no one around, so I collapsed in the sand and let myself cry. Well..cry would be an understatement. I let myself shatter.

What the hell was wrong with me? Why did I open myself up again to a man? I knew better. I knew that this shit would happen again. I always knew, deep down, that Les would leave me just like everyone else did. I knew not to get too comfortable with him, but I did it anyway. I trusted him and I fucking knew better!

I sat in the sand for hours crying and letting myself get lost in my pain. I watched as the water came closer and closer to where I was sitting. I thought, maybe, if I just sat there long enough, the water would wash over me and carry me away from the hurt and the pain. That would be okay with me. I heard a car pull up into the lot and heard a door slam, but I refused to turn around to see who it was. Whoever it was needed to back the fuck off me. I wasn't in the mood for anything.

"Stephanie?" Shit, I thought. I really wasn't in the mood for him. I wondered how he even found me. "Steph...can I sit down with you?" Mark was standing beside me looking at my tear stained face with concern in his eyes. I couldn't speak so I just shrugged at him.

He sat beside me and wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side. I enjoyed the comfort, so I laid my head on him and let out a deep sigh. He still smelled exactly the same as I remembered. "Want to tell me what happened?" His voice was soft, but I wasn't ready to talk about I,t so I shook my head. I felt him nod and we fell into silence again. I appreciated the silent support he was giving me. It felt just like old times. Thinking about those old times caused me to ask him a question that plagued my mind for years.

"Why did you leave me?" My whispered question was almost inaudible, but he heard because I felt him sigh.

"Is that what got you so upset and made you leave the office?" It was just like him to deflect from answering something he didn't want to. We played that game numerous times while we were together, and I always won. I stayed silent waiting for him to answer my original question. He finally realized what I was doing and chuckled. "Nothing's changed, huh?" I heard him sigh and his hand began rubbing up and down my arm. "I'm sorry that I just left you. I wasn't happy with school and I needed a change. I joined the Marines and I was scared that you'd be pissed at me. I loved you, Stephanie. I wanted to marry you, but I needed to make something of myself first." That explained how he just disappeared.

"Why couldn't you talk to me about it? Why just leave without a word?" I picked up my head and looked into his light eyes. They were always my favorite part of him.

"The recruiter said that I had potential to become part of a special ops team. He warned me about leaving people behind to worry about me. Told me to cut the strings and become the best of the best, so I did that. I didn't want to leave you here while I went running into dangerous situations. I wanted better for you." He bent and kissed my lips lightly. I didn't return the kiss, but I didn't stop him either. "I'm so sorry that I hurt you, Stephanie. I wanted you happy, and you wouldn't have been waiting around for me to return." He bent to kiss me again, but I turned my head.

"You broke my heart and left me homeless. How was that happy? I had to pawn my engagement ring to afford a place to live. I worked my ass off to finish college. I wasn't happy, you asshole." I stood up and walked away from him.

"I can't take it back, Steph. It's over and I'm sorry that I caused you pain, but you can't tell me that you would have been happy waiting for me. There was a chance that I would never have made it back." I huffed and turned to face him, hands on hips, and fire in my eyes.

"You could have at least talked to me. You know, explained yourself. Maybe I wouldn't have waited, but it wouldn't have hurt so God damn bad!" I felt the tears fall from my eyes and angrily brushed them away. "You were just the first of a long line of assholes who decided I wasn't good enough for them."

Mark didn't say anything and didn't try to touch me. I think he knew that it wouldn't be wise right then. After several minutes of silence, he spoke again. "I can assume the guy's name that you talked about earlier, you know...the only guy that you purr for...his name is Lester Santos, right?" Hearing that name brought on more tears. My heart broke again thinking about him with another woman.

I sank back down into the sand and buried my face in my hands. Mark sat behind me and wrapped me in his arms again. I was too tired to fight him. We'd sat in that same position many times in the past and it was comfortable. "I called him because I needed to hear his voice. I needed to talk to the man who I love, but I got a woman instead." Mark pulled me in tighter to him. He stayed silent while I finished talking. "He called her Honey. She sounded beautiful over the phone. I don't know what they were doing and I don't care. I trusted yet another guy and once again I got my heart shit on. When am I going to learn?" I felt Mark sigh and he rested his head on top of mine. He kept his legs bent and I was sitting in between them. I could feel his hard muscles against my back and arms. It felt really good.

After several silent minutes, Mark started talking. "I don't know the guy ,so I can't tell you that it's going to be okay. I can tell you that he came back to the office twenty minutes after you left and when he couldn't find you, he freaked out. He called your parents and learned that you took off without your trackers and he lost it. Most of the guys there were frantically looking for you." I let out a long sigh. I hated that I worried the guys.

"How did you find me?" He chuckled and squeezed his arms around me.

"I know you, Stephanie. Every time we had a fight, you came to the beach. It's where you find peace and are able to think." I was just too damn predictable sometimes. "I must say, though, I wasn't expecting to see the piss-mobile still in working order. I am enjoying the new paint job." He laughed and I had to join him. It was a ridiculous car, but it was all I had available.

We fell quiet again for several minutes then Mark let out a sigh and spoke. "You need to call him. Hear his side. If it's good and it all works out, then I'll be happy that you're in love. If it goes bad and you get your heart broken, know that I will be here for you." He turned me in his arms and stretched his legs out. I positioned myself atop his thighs. My legs were resting on each side of his and my most intimate zone was pressed tight into his. It was an intimate position, one that we shared many times too.

"I thought about you every day since I left. I never forgot about you and I never stopped loving you." Mark slowly brought his lips close to mine and paused right before they met. "I will be here waiting if he screws up, and I will help you forget him." His lips gently pressed against mine and my heart broke as I returned his kiss.

I felt his lips move against mine and his tongue trace around my bottom lip. I didn't want to, but I opened my mouth for him. He tasted exactly how I remembered. His hands were running soothing strokes up and down my back and I melted into his embrace. I felt his cock stir under me and I pulled away and jumped off him. "I'm so sorry, Mark. I didn't mean to do that." I felt so ashamed. There I was, technically still living with Les and making out with an ex-boyfriend.

"It's okay, Steph. I shouldn't have done it either. You need to get your head and heart worked out before we start anything. I'll give you all the time you need." It amazed me that he just assumed that I would hop back into a relationship with him.

"I think you're right. I need to talk to Les. I'm going to drive home and hopefully he'll be there." I turned and started walking back to my car.

"I'll be waiting, Steph. Find me when you're ready." I gave him a small wave and started my car. Find him when I was ready for what? Another broken heart? What made him think that I would turn to him?

I drove to my parent's to switch vehicles. I knew the guys were tracking me so the second my trackers moved they'd know. I kissed my mom goodbye and promised her that everything was fine with me. I promised to call her the next day and climbed into the SUV. My cell phone had 23 missed calls and just as many voice mails. They were all from the guys and all demanding that I call them. The messages from Les broke my heart all over again. He sounded so worried, but I wondered why?

The drive home was spent on autopilot. A million thoughts ran though my mind as I drove. I wondered if I would keep the house if Les wasn't there with me. Would I even keep the same job? Would I ever let anyone into my heart again? Would I trust again?

Before I knew it, I was home and parked the SUV in the garage. I saw that Les' was parked there too along with three other SUV's parked in the front. I knew the guys were there waiting for an explanation for my hasty exit. I knew it wasn't going to be a good conversation with them.

I walked inside and sat my purse and stuff down on the table beside the door. The house was quiet, but I could feel the tension. Walking into the living room and saw just what I expected. Les, Bobby, Tank, Ranger, Ram, Zero, Woody, Hector, Cal, and Hal were all sitting quietly nursing beers. They all kept their eyes on me as I made my way into the room and sat down in the chair by the window. No one spoke for several minutes.

"Mark texted us that you were okay when he found you," Les' words were harsh and the sound of them made me cringe. They were all pissed at me. I knew I broke a major rule, but I honestly had no choice.

"Look, I know you guys are all mad because I left without a partner and without telling you where I was going. I know I pissed you off when I went offline. I know and I'm sorry. I had to get away and I needed space." I didn't look at Les as I spoke. I didn't really look at any of them. I couldn't bring myself to look at them. I didn't want to see the disappointment on their faces.

"Look at me, Stephanie." Ranger's voice was full of authority and wasn't his normal tender tone that he used with me.

I slowly raised my eyes to his. I was beyond shocked when I didn't see disappointment on his face, just relief. I looked at the guys and their expressions showed the same as Ranger's, pure, unadulterated relief. Their expressions brought tears to my eyes. Les stepped forward and wrapped me into his arms and I melted into him. I knew I needed to talk to him, but I needed his comfort.

"Don't cry, Beautiful. We're not mad or disappointed. We were all worried sick, but knew you were able to take care of yourself. When Mark let us know where you were, we decided to give you the space that you needed." Les was gently rubbing my back as I cried into him. I was exhausted but needed to have a conversation with him. "What made you run away, Beautiful? And is Mark THE Mark from college?"

Letting out a sigh, I answered his questions. "Yes, he's my ex-boyfriend from college. You know all about him." Les growled and then pulled me out of his arms. He gently wiped the tears off my face and kissed my nose.

"What made you run?" I looked at him and then all the guys sitting there. I didn't want to have that discussion with them in the room. I just knew it was going to be painful.

"Can we talk about this alone?" Les looked confused and then shook his head.

"No, whatever you have to say can be said in front of everyone. They all love you and need to hear what happened to make you run away from them." Les stood and sat back on the couch. Fine! If he wanted to do it that way, then it was fine with me.

I thought about everything that happened, especially the phone call. Everything Les had ever said to me was a lie. He never really loved me, because you didn't treat someone you love like trash. You don't intentionally lie to them and hurt them. Thinking about everything made me incredibly angry. I was trying to think about how to start the discussion and realized that I didn't care how to start it. I was well beyond pissed and they were all damn well going to know it.

"You made me run, you fucking son of a bitch." Les looked shocked at my words. "Where were you this afternoon?" His puzzled look pissed me off more. I decided to give him a noose to hang himself with. He looked nervous.

"I had meeting with clients. You know that." He looked away so I knew he was lying. It was his tell.

"And still you lie to me. Who's the 'Honey' that answered your phone this afternoon?" I watched his eyes get wide and the guys turned to glare at him.

"You were the one that called. FUCK..." I was beyond pissed now. He never even thought that it could have been me.

"Yes, it was me. Silly stupid woman who wanted...no NEEDED to talk to the man who claims to love her. But instead of him, I get to listen to the other woman that he's with. So tell me, Sexy Santos, was she the client? That must be one hell of a contract you have with her." Bobby looked sick as he turned to me.

"Steph. It's not what you're thinking. Les and I were..." I didn't want to hear excuses, so I interrupted.

"No, Bobby. Don't make excuses for him. I want to hear it from the man who supposedly wants to marry me. I want to hear it from him." The tears flowed out of my eyes and I hung my head waiting for the shoe to drop, waiting for Les to walk out the door, waiting for anything.

I heard the rustling of clothes and then someone knelt in front of me. I felt a finger under my chin and someone gently lift up my head to meet their eyes. When I finally raised my head to look at the person in front of me, my heart stopped to see tears swimming in Les' gorgeous green eyes.

"Beautiful, I am sorry for what happened today." Of course he was sorry, he got caught. "What you heard isn't what you think." I looked deep into his eyes and didn't see anything to make me believe he was lying. He let out a deep sigh and ran his hand through his hair.

"I was going to do this another way, but under the circumstances..." I looked at him confused. "Bobby and I had client meetings this morning. The one scheduled for afternoon got canceled. I decided to visit a store on my way back to the office." He took my hands in his and kissed each of them. "Ranger's sister and brother-in-law own a jewelry store. We stopped there so I could buy something. I was talking to Nico when my phone rang on the opposite side of the store. Mia answered if for me. You heard Ranger's sister, my cousin, on the phone." I felt stupid. 'Way to jump to conclusions, Plum', I thought then something else hit me.

"Do you always call your cousin Honey?" I tried to hide the doubt from my voice. I failed. I heard Ranger suppress a laugh and I shot him a glare. I was glad he thought it was funny.

"Yes, I do always call that cousin Honey. When she was 17, she decided to dye her hair blonde. She had black hair and the dye didn't work like it should have. Her hair turned out the color of honey instead of the platinum blonde she wanted. She hated it and we always teased her by calling her Honey. She hates the name, but it was innocent." I looked at Ranger who nodded in agreement. Bobby was nodding too. I let out a sigh.

"So, she's your cousin and I jumped to the wrong conclusions and thought the worst. I ran like I always do and made you all worry." I felt so ashamed at myself all over again and wondered why he loved me?

"I love you because you're an amazing woman. I love you because you are sweet, caring, and humble, you open your heart to anyone, and you trust without question, you love without conditions. You are sexy as hell and I love you, most importantly, because you love me." Les brought his lips to mine in a tender kiss. It spoke of forgiveness and it took my breath away. Les pulled away and looked into my eyes again.

"Stephanie, I was mad as hell at my boss when he gave me the assignment to meet and help a new bounty hunter. I waited for the person in a small diner and was prepared to give them some advice and shove them on their way. I wasn't prepared to meet my future that day. It took one look for me to find you attractive. It took five minutes to know that you are a special woman. It took one hour to know that I wanted you in my bed. It took one day to know that I wanted you in my life. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it.

"I was at the jewelry store today to pick this up. I've wanted to marry you for months, but I had to have time to get this made." He picked the ring up out of the box and grabbed my left hand. He placed a hot kiss on my palm and once again stared into my eyes.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, will you complete my life? Will you marry me?" He held his breath waiting for my answer. I think everyone in the room was holding their breaths, too. I wanted to say yes, but he had to know about Mark first. I wasn't going to start my engagement off with lies.

"I would love to say yes, Les. You know that I love you and you know that I would never intentionally hurt you. Before I say yes, there's something you need to know. It might make you change your mind." His eyes filled with concern and he pulled the ring back. God this was going to hurt.

"When Mark and I were talking on the beach, he kissed me. The first time I didn't kiss back. It was over before I even realized what he had done." Les looked angry, but he didn't move. "The second time he kissed me, I kissed him back. I was so confused about what I heard on the phone and I was so alone." Les stood up and turned his back to me. I stopped talking and hung my head again, letting the tears fall.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you." I didn't know if my whispered apology was heard or not. I heard the snap of a ring box closing and knew that I had lost him.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, they don't belong to me

Here is the anticipated chapter. I debated all weekend about posting this early, but in the long run I decided to make you all wait. We've still got more of this story and the angst isn't near over.

Thank you all for the reviews! I was shocked to see them reach 300 with the last chapter. You all are amazing and I love each and every word you leave me.

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**Chapter 18**

**SPOV**

The living room was completely silent as I sat with my head down, letting the tears fall from my eyes. I knew I hurt the only man who I had ever truly loved. I couldn't believe how fucked up that the day became. It went from bad, to good, to really bad, back to good...and then, totally fucked.

"Can you guys leave me and Stephanie alone for a bit?" I could hear the pain in Les' words and it broke my heart even more. I heard the guys stand up and walk out of the room but I didn't hear the front door, so I knew they didn't leave. I figured they were staying behind to help Les pack his stuff up after our conversation.

Silence filled the room once again after the guys left. All that was heard was my quiet sobs and Les' breathing. He didn't get close to me and I didn't try to look at him. The sound of the pain in his voice was enough to break me. I didn't want to see that pain too. "Can you answer a question for me?" I jumped as his question broke the silence of the room. I didn't bother looking up, I just nodded. "Do you still love him?" Les whispered the question, almost like he already knew the answer to it. I looked up at him and the sight took my breath away. Standing on the other side of the room was a broken man. His normal confident stance was gone. His usual sparkling eyes were dull and filled with fear.

I slowly stood off my chair and walked towards him. I needed him to understand every word that I was about to say to him. He let me get close enough to place my hands on each side of his handsome face. My thumbs rubbed his cheeks as I poured my heart out to him. "I never really loved him. Until I met you, I didn't even know what love was. What I felt for Mark doesn't even come close to what I feel for you. You are the only man who I've ever truly loved. You are the man who I want to spend the rest of my life with. You are the man who completes me. Truthfully, I fell in love with you that first night we met. It scared me shitless, but it happened." I watched his face change and soften. His eyes were staring directly into my soul.

"I'm so sorry that I hurt you and if I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat. I'm not going to make excuses and try make what I did okay because it's not. I just pray that you can forgive me because I don't know if I can live without you in my life, Lester." We stared at each other. Neither one of us saying anything, just looking into each other's eyes. I was praying for forgiveness and I didn't know exactly what Les' was thinking.

Slowly, Les brought his lips to meet mine but stopped before they were touching. His sexy smile spread across his face as he whispered one question. "So, Belize for the honeymoon?" I understood what he was saying completely and crushed my lips to his. I was forgiven. He still wanted to marry me. He still loved me. He still wanted me.

I felt as he slipped the ring on my finger and I kissed him with every ounce of love and passion that I held for him. All the doubts and fears from earlier were gone. All that mattered right then was the man in my arms. I moaned when I felt Les' tongue invade my mouth. I bent my head to give him better access and heard him growl. We pulled apart when we heard a chuckle behind us. Les and I both turned to see Ranger standing there with a shit eating grin on his face.

"Congratulations, you two. The guys and I are going to go but I have a question before we do." We both looked at him curiously. "Can both of you handle working with Mark? I need to fire him early if you can't." I had to laugh. He was willing to fire someone if we felt uncomfortable. I looked at Les as he looked at me.

"I'm fine with it. I'll need to have a conversation with him describing boundaries, but it's fine with me." Les searched my face for something that I guessed he saw.

"We'll give him a shot, but if he puts his lips on my fiancé again...I'm going to kill him." Les never looked away from me as he spoke so I got to see how serious he was. I had no doubt that he would kill Mark. I would need to have that chat with him soon, very, very soon.

"Sounds good. You two enjoy your night." We heard Ranger leave the room, but we didn't move. We knew that once we did, we weren't going to be able to stop and there were still guests in the house. Les and I stared at each other, neither speaking, until we heard the alarm setting and the door close. We were finally alone.

Les held me in his arms and started to sway, holding me close. There was no music, but there didn't need to be. He leaned his head down to mine and rested his face next to mine. His lips where close to my ear and his whispered words sent shivers down my spine.

It took me awhile, but I soon realized that he was singing to me. His voice was so quiet that I had to strain to hear his words, but I picked them out. He was singing _The Dance_ to me and it made my eyes fill with tears. It was the song that made him give us a chance while I was in the hospital. It was our song.

When he finished the song and picked up his head to look at me, his eyes were filled with the same tears that were in mine. His lips met mine in the most tender kiss that we'd ever shared. It wasn't our normal lust filled meeting. It was sweet and loving and it made my heart stop. I felt every bit of love that he had for me in that kiss. He poured his soul into that kiss and I did my best to return the favor.

When breathing became necessary, he pulled away and smiled at me. His hands were resting on either side of my face and his thumbs were brushing my cheeks. Wiping off my tears as they fell, he gave me one more peck and then turned.

Holding my hand in his, he led me through the house turning off lights and checking doors. He didn't speak and I didn't either. I just followed, staying as close to him as I could get. When everything was locked up and turned off, he led me silently up the stairs and into our bedroom.

We stood beside the bed just holding each other. Not speaking words out loud, but letting our touches, kisses, and eyes speak for us. We slowly stripped each other's clothes off and Les gently lowered me down onto our bed. His body covered mine pressing me further into the mattress. His hands caressed my face and when his lips replaced his hands, they were free to move lower.

His lips and fingers stoked the fire that was burning between my legs. I was in desperate need of release, but I didn't want him to go there yet. I was enjoying the loving touches and kisses too much to rush him. I sent my hands to explore his face and his neck. I ran my fingers through his hair and down his back. I stopped before I got to his tight ass because I knew if I touched it, I would press it down so he was closer to me.

Les kissed my eyes, my nose, my ears, my lips and then each nipple. He spent what seemed like an eternity licking and sucking my breasts. His hands continued to roam, but he never went lower than my stomach.

When his lips were finally done on my breasts, he kissed down my stomach. His hot tongue trailed around my abs and dipped into my navel making me squirm and squeal. He kissed down my left leg and kissed each toe. He kissed the toes on my right foot and kissed back up that leg. He stopped at the apex and took a deep breath.

I could tell that I was wetter than I'd ever been before. I felt the moisture leak out and run down between my legs. Les slowly lowered himself to lick the moisture off my inner thighs. Slowly his tongue worked its way toward my aching center, but he never touched it. I was dying with need, but held my voice. Neither one of us had spoken since the living room. Les crawled back up my body and positioned himself between my legs. He ran one hand down my left leg and brought it up so it wrapped around his waist.

He kissed me gently as he slowly pushed his length into me. We kept our eyes locked onto each others as he began to move inside of me. It was so slow and so full of passion at the same time. It was unlike any other time we'd made love. It was like our souls were finally trusting the other enough to mate.

When we came together that night, it wasn't with screams or even shudders. It was with such intensity that I swear I saw heaven. We never closed our eyes and we never spoke.

When the spasms finally stopped for both of us, we both had tears running down our faces. Les kissed mine from my cheeks and eyes and I returned the favor. Les rolled over and pulled me tight into his side. We held each other like we'd never held on before as we silently laid there both sated and exhausted. I don't know which one succumbed to sleep first, but it eventually took both of us.

**LPOV**

My life forever changed that night. Not only did I get engaged, but I also fulfilled a lifelong dream. I wasn't even trying to make that happen, it just did and I didn't even realize it until it was almost over.

Holding Stephanie in my arms was my slice of heaven. When I started to sway with her and move to unsung music, my heart exploded with love. I didn't even realize that I was singing to her until I felt her tears on my face. I hated country, just like Steph, but _The Dance_ became our song. It was perfect for us.

When she first told me about her and Mark's kiss at the beach, I was beyond pissed. Not necessarily at Steph, but at that asshole who thought he deserved the right to kiss my woman. I wanted to find him and kill him. I knew that there was nothing Steph could ever do that would ever make me stop loving her, but I refused to be part of a love triangle. I was willing to walk away if she told me she still loved him. It would hurt like hell, but I would walk. I refused to be second to some other man.

When she spoke those words to me standing in the living room, I knew that she was telling me the truth. I knew it was true because it was the same for me. I didn't even know what love was until I met her. It still amazed me how damn lucky I was to get that assignment.

Laying in bed the next morning, Steph stirred in my arms and I looked down at the beautiful woman laying there. The night before had been amazing. We didn't speak a word to each other. We let our bodies talk and I must say, that they had one hell of a good conversation. Watching her cum was the single best experience of my life, so far. It was like I was getting a glimpse into heaven.

When I finally let myself cum in her...words can't describe that feeling. I wasn't sure if Stephanie felt what I did, but I swore that our souls finally mated that night. We became one. Hell, after what we'd shared, I would say that we were already married. What good is a damn piece of paper?

It was just about an hour before the alarm was supposed to go off when I felt Steph stir against me again. Her beautiful blue eyes met mine and she smiled shyly. I smiled back and kissed her on her cute little nose. "Good morning." Her voice was husky and it made my cock twitch in excitement.

"Good morning, Beautiful. How are you feeling today?" I knew the day before was hard on her. It killed me that I'd hurt her so unknowingly. I had no idea that she was the one who called when Mia answered nor did I have any idea that she would misunderstand the situation so horribly.

"Mmmmm...I feel perfect. I can't believe we're engaged!" She snuggled closer and looked at her ring. I smiled and pulled her on top of me. We had a little time before we had to get up.

"I can't believe it either, but it's true. You're going to be Mrs. Santos!" She smiled her full smile at me and I raised up my head to kiss her deeply. She moaned into my mouth and rubbed her already wet center on my erection.

"Have something on your mind, Beautiful?" I sucked a breath in as she sucked my ear lobe into her mouth. I raised my hips up into her more. She knew exactly what was on my mind. I heard her giggle in my ear.

"Seems like we're both thinking the same thing." Her whispered words sent a shiver down my spine as she positioned herself on my cock and slowly slid down. I would never get tired of letting her have the control, however, she wasn't moving and it was driving me crazy. I could feel her flexing her inner walls around me and it felt amazing, but I wanted more.

"We had slow and sweet last night. Today is for fast and hard." My growled words made her smile and she started riding me like only she knew how. God I loved it when she was in control.

She didn't know this, but Stephanie was the only woman who I ever let take control with me like that. I never trusted anyone to be in that submissive and exposed position. I trusted her just like I loved her, completely and with everything that I had.

I knew she was close to coming, so I sent my thumb to rub her swollen nub while my other hand twisted her nipple gently. She shattered on top of me, sending me over the edge with her. She collapsed on top of me trying to control her breathing. Just like her, that was my personal heaven, feeling her weight on top of me was my idea of perfect. I hugged her into me and groaned when she rolled off.

We were both just about asleep again when the alarm went off. I heard her mumble some very unflattering curse words and chuckled when she slapped the alarm off. I watched her as she walked naked to the bathroom. She turned before she got inside and looked at me with her sex goddess look. "Naughty Queen is dirty and needs a shower. Does her King want to help her or is he too tired?" I could never get enough of that woman and my already growing erection was proof of that fact. I growled and crawled out of bed. She squealed and disappeared into the bathroom. It was time to get dirty, so we could get clean.

Hours later, we kissed goodbye at the office. I had meetings scheduled all day and Steph was supposed to watch the monitors. I knew she hated that job, so I made a mental note to cheer her up after work. I could spend the day coming up with ways to make her happy. However, the first thing I needed to do was find Mark and have a little chat with him. It wasn't something that could wait any longer.

I found him sitting in the break room with the other new guys. I didn't know their names yet and none of them knew who I was in the company. I stood back listening to their conversation for a second before interrupting.

"So, who is the girl who works here? You seem to know her, Mark." Dumb fuck numero uno asked.

"Her name is Stephanie and she's an old girlfriend." At least he understood that it was over. Long over!

"Yeah, but you two looked chummy yesterday. Did you hit that last night." I was about to punch the guy when Mark grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him close.

"You will not disrespect her when I'm around. Got it?" Mark let the guy go and stood up from the table. His eyes met mine and we had a silent stare down. I wasn't sure what, if anything, he knew.

"Lester Santos, good to meet you guys. I've heard nothing but good things." I decided to play nice with the newbies. They introduced themselves, but I honestly couldn't tell you their names a minute later. I only had eyes for Mark.

"Can I have a word with you Mark. It will only take a minute." He nodded and followed me into my office. His eyes got wide when he saw the title on the metal plate by my door.. He knew, then, that I was part of the core team and he knew not to fuck with me.

"I understand you were friends with my fiancé." I watched his eyes grow wide at the new title. I knew he wasn't expecting that.

"Yes, Sir, we dated in college." He was respectful at least, so that was good.

"I also understand that you tried to rekindle that romance last night." It wasn't a question and I read him very well in the seconds that followed my statement. I knew that he was counting on me fucking up, so he would get another chance with Stephanie.

He didn't hesitate with his response. "I was under the impression that you two were no longer an item. I apologize for overstepping the boundary, Sir. It won't happen again." He was too quick in his apology and was very robotic in his motions, but he was fresh out of the military. I knew it usually took awhile to fall back into civilian life.

"Damn straight that it won't happen again. If it does, then your job won't be the only thing you risk losing. Understand?" I stared at him with my 'don't fuck with me' look. He paled and nodded his head.

"Reading crystal clear, Sir." I nodded and was about to dismiss him when he spoke again.

"Can I be her friend, Sir, or would you like me removed totally from her life?" Fuck! Totally would be good, I thought, but I knew Steph would be pissed at that suggestion.

"As long as you can keep the boundaries, friends is fine with me. You know what happens if you cross that line though." I made sure he understood that there was no dancing the line or even putting your toe close to it.

"Sir, yes Sir." I glared at him again and dismissed him from my office. I had work to do and didn't have time to deal with the little pissant.

Bobby stuck his head in a while later saying that we were going to be late for the meeting if we didn't leave. I closed up my computer and went to find Steph to kiss her goodbye. I always made sure to tell her when I left the office and I loved getting her goodbye kisses!

I found her staring at a bank of monitor screens. Hector sat next to her and they seemed to be in deep discussion of Pino's versus Shorty's pizza. I pulled her up from her seat and kissed her shocked lips before pulling away and smiling her "I'm off for meeting. Have a good day, Beautiful!" She smiled and kissed me back.

"You too, Sexy." She replied. I swatted her ass and rushed off toward the elevator. It was a cave man thing to do, I know, but I'd just made it damn clear who she belonged to and I dared anyone to challenge me when it came to her. If they tried, they would lose, but it would be a whole lot of fun teaching them.

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A/N - There...they're all happy again! BUT...how long does it truly last? : D


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

Thank you all for the reviews. I know some of you are worried about my A/N, but if you know my stories you know to expect some angst. We've still got a ways to go in this tail so you can expect some more drama to come up. Some you may be expecting, and some you may not. =)

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**Chapter 19**

**SPOV**

Les and I celebrated our new engagement every night for the next week. We did our normal day stuff at the office and we even had dinner with my family to announce our engagement. My mom cried, my dad congratulated us and my grandma molested my fiancé. All in all, it was pretty normal. Les also took me to his aunt and uncle's house for dinner, too. Since they were the closest thing to parents he had, we felt they deserved to hear our good news. They welcomed me with open arms into their family. Ranger and his siblings were all there too, so I got to meet the entire Manoso clan. It was overwhelming, but good to see Les surrounded by people who loved him.

His cousin, Mia, wouldn't stop apologizing to me about the misunderstanding. I assured her that it wasn't totally her fault. I had a tendency to jump to conclusions and I did just that with that situation. We talked practically the entire night and even made plans to go shopping together in the next couple of weeks. I knew we were going to be good friends.

Our families weren't the only ones happy about our engagement. The guys at the office didn't waste time in congratulating us either. We walked into the conference room one morning to a surprise 'Yay, you're getting hitched' party. We sat around most of that day eating Ella's wonderful food and enjoying being together with friends. When talk turned to the bachelor party, I decided to leave the conference room and give the guys their privacy. I didn't want to hear about strippers and poker games anyway.

A week after the party, I was sitting in my cubicle working on searches when I felt another presence in my personal space. I turned around to see Mark smiling at me. He had stayed away from me after our beach conversation. Or should I say after the conversation Les had with him the next morning. Either way, I was surprised to see him standing there.

"Hey, Steph. How's the most gorgeous woman here doing?" His smile was always contagious and it hadn't changed.

"I'm the ONLY woman here under the age of 50, and I'm doing great. How are you? You enjoying the job so far?" I smiled back at him.

"I love it. I haven't got to go into the field yet, but the training and office stuff has been fun. I'm looking forward to getting off of the probation period and getting a partner. You know anyone who is looking for a strong handsome man to work with." His tone told me that he heard I still needed a full-time partner. Since Mark and I had such an intense history, I wasn't sure if we could work together. I wasn't even sure if Ranger and Les would allow us to be partners.

Reading my thoughts, Mark smiled at me. "I talked to Les and Ranger, they think we would be good together. They trust me to watch out for you and I trust you to have my back." It was comforting to know that Les and Ranger thought it was a good idea. My mind made up, I smiled brightly at my old friend and nodded.

"I would love to be your partner. I think we'll work well together. I mean, I know you know how to have some fun." He laughed and pulled me into a hug. "I'll let Ranger and Les know my decision later today. Once you get done with your weeks with the guys, you'll be all mine." I hugged him tighter. Friendly hug only.

"Thank you, Steph." His voice got serious. I pulled away to look at his face.

"For what?" I was confused.

"For trusting me again. I don't deserve it, but I'm going to cherish it." I saw sincerity in his face so I smiled at him. I didn't see an ex-boyfriend who broke my heart. I saw a good friend.

"We were always good friends, let's focus on being better partners. We're going to have some fun." We laughed together and he dropped a kiss on my head before leaving to find Tank. Mark and Tank had a date with a pile of paperwork.

An hour later, I saw Les come back from a meeting and walk directly into his office. He didn't look too happy, so the meeting must not have gone too well. I had a lunch hour to use as best I saw fit, so I decided to cheer him up. I had the perfect idea of how to do that too. I walked to his office holding a stack of files, trying to give off the impression that my visit was business related. I don't think the guys fell for it though, because the grins I got walking past them told me that they knew exactly what I was up to.

Les' door was closed, so I almost decided to just walk away, but something told me to knock anyway. I knocked and waited for the gruff 'enter' before I opened the door. Les was sitting behind his desk, tie hanging loose around his neck, suit coat tossed on the desk in front of him. There was a hard edge to his appearance that I hadn't seen before. It was unsettling to me.

I walked into the office and closed and locked the door. Les didn't even look up at me giving me another reason to worry. I'm sure he knew that it was me in the room with him, but he refused to look at me. He stared at the desk in front of him. I cautiously approached his side of the desk and turned his office chair so that he was facing me. I squatted down so I could see his face, but he still didn't look up.

"Les? Is everything okay?" I rubbed my hand down his worry filled face and tried to look into his eyes, but he was avoiding my gaze. "Okay, I can see that something is wrong and since you're not speaking to me about it, I'm just going to go and let you sulk in private." I stood to leave but his hand grabbed mine. He didn't say anything, but let out a long sigh. His finger started rubbing my palm. When his eyes finally met mine, the look behind them took my breath away. Fear. Cold, hard, endless fear. "Les, you're really scaring me. I need you to talk to me. Please, Baby, don't shut me out." I knew I was pleading, but I didn't care. I had to know what was going on. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer, burying his head in my stomach. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his head. I felt him tremble and soon something clicked in my brain. I knew, then, that he was leaving.

Les told me from the beginning of our relationship that he would probably be called out on one last mission before the end of his contract. That end date was quickly approaching and he'd been called. I promised him that I would be there waiting for him and I intended to keep that promise. I wasn't going to cry and beg him not to go. I would be strong for him. "When do you leave?" My simple question made Les tense and he picked up his head to look at me. I gave him a small, sad smile.

"One week. Ranger and I both got called." I was glad that Ranger was going with him. They would watch each other's back. I brought my lips to his in a tender kiss and felt him relax under my lips. We pulled away and just looked at each other. I saw his fears and I hoped he saw my unconditional support.

"How long will you be gone?" I was expecting a week, two...maybe a month. But his response made my heart stop and my blood run cold.

"Six months to a year. The mission calls for us to go deep undercover." Les must have felt me tense, because he immediately ran his hand down my face. He was trying to comfort me.

"I'm sorry, Beautiful. My end date was getting so close, I thought they were going to let me out without this shit. I should have known better." I finally snapped out of my stupor and sat down in his lap. I wrapped my arms around him and sighed as he snuggled me into his warm, hard body and kissed my temple.

"It's not your fault. This is your job and you warned me to expect this. I'm not mad. Worried and upset, yes, mad, never. I'll be right here waiting for you when you get back. After all, you promised me a honeymoon in Belize." I felt him smile but it only lasted a second. Something else was wrong and I was too scared to ask what it was, and it turned out that I didn't have to ask.

"I might not be coming back, my Love." Les' whispered words sent terror through me but I refused to believe what he said.

"Nope. Not going to accept that. You'll go do whatever you have to do and you'll be back. You promised me forever, Lester Santos and I will not settle for anything less than that." I felt the first tear fall from my eyes and then a second one. Les pulled away and wiped the tears off my face. He placed a gentle kiss on my lips and held me tight against him again.

"Okay, Beautiful, we'll do this your way." I felt the tears fall, but I refused to sit and wallow in self-pity.

"Damn straight, we've got a week to be together before you have to leave and we're not spending it here. We've got vacation time, so we're going offline and we're locking ourselves in our house. We'll visit your family and my family, and of course we'll have the guys over a couple of times, but other than that...it's just going to be you and me." I looked into his eyes and saw a spark of hope. He nodded and I stood off his lap.

"Do you have anything else planned for today?" He shook his head and I walked out of his office door straight to Ranger's. I knocked once and walked through the door when he called for me to enter. He wasn't surprised to see me in his office.

"Can Les and I take the next week off work?" His eyebrow raised slightly and I caught a small smile form on his face.

"I'll re-assign someone else to Les' meetings and give Hector your files." I nodded and let out a small sigh.

"Thank you, Ranger. Les and I will be offline. I'll set up a party with all the guys and I expect you to be there too." He smiled and nodded at me, and I tried to smile back, but think my face showed more of the fear that I was actually feeling because Ranger's words came out of nowhere.

"I'll watch out for him and I'll make sure he gets home to you, Steph." It made me feel better, but then I felt sad because I didn't want him to sacrifice himself. I walked around the desk and hugged him when he stood. I must have shocked him because his arms laid limp at his sides for a few seconds before wrapping around me.

"Thank you for that, but I want you to come back home with him. I need both of you here." He hugged me tighter and I felt his lips on the side of my face by my hairline.

"You've got it, Bosslady." I chuckled at his playful tone. I squeezed one more time and then placed a kiss on his lips. He looked at me shocked and then smiled a full-blown, knock me over, smile. I winked at him and then walked out of his office. I grabbed my stuff from my cubicle and then gathered Les out of his office.

The guys looked at us curiously, but they would figure out soon enough what was going on. I had a week to spend with my fiancé before he got shipped off to some God forsaken hell hole to do some dangerous shit. I wasn't going to waste even a second of that week on idol chit-chat with the guys.

That entire next week, Les and I spent locked up in our house. We only left two times and that was for the dinners that each of our families held for us. Les and Ranger informed their family that they were leaving and they both asked everyone to watch over me. I was going to need their support and knew I'd get if from them.

My family's dinner was typical. My mom cried, dad ate, grandma molested. My mother asked if we had decided on a wedding date, I rolled my eyes and told her that we hadn't. We talked about marrying before he left, but like we decided before, we were already married in our eyes. A big celebration didn't mean anything to us so it could wait.

Les met with his lawyer at the house and we signed a myriad of documents. Les explained that it was customary procedure before leaving on a mission. He called it 'getting my affairs in order.' I called it bullshit. Les showed me that he was naming me the primary beneficiary of his will. As much as I wanted to, I refused to argue with him about it. We would have that fight when he came back.

Two days before D-day, I invited every available guy at RangeMan over to the house. I wanted Les and Ranger to have time with their friends before leaving. Shorty's provided the pizza and I provided the beer. We all had a blast. The guys sat around sharing war stories that made me laugh and made me cry. The things that those guys had seen and done would cause a normal person to go crazy. How they were still functional was beyond me.

The nights that week before Les left were spent wrapped in each other's arms. We once again let our bodies tell each other the feelings that our mouths couldn't quite express. I don't think we slept more than three or four hours a night that entire week. It was equal parts heaven and hell.

Finally, my week of denial ended and the morning came where my love and my soul would leave. We spent the hours before confirming our love for each other. I didn't get out of bed when Les did because he asked me not to. He told me that the last memory of me that he wanted of me was of me laying in our bed, thoroughly fucked and oh so sexy. I did that for him.

Les dressed in his Army Camos and grabbed his bag from the closet. He sat down beside me on the bed and kissed me with every bit of love that he had in him. When he pulled away, we were both breathless. "Always remember that I love you. No matter what happens, Stephanie, know that you are the most important thing in my life. I have no regrets and I will do everything in my power to make it home to you." I smiled at him and kissed him again.

"I love you too, Lester Santos. No regrets, only hope for the future."

"I'm going to marry you when I get back." I smiled and rubbed his face.

"I'm going to hold you to that." He kissed my palm and then his phone chirped. He read the message and stood off the bed. He kissed me again and then walked out of the door.

I laid in our bed, unmoving, until I heard the alarm reset and the front door close. When I was finally alone, I let the tears fall. I let every fear and concern that I had for Les and Ranger break through the walls that I had erected around myself. I was finally able to let those walls fall and I cried.

**LPOV**

Walking out of the door of our home was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do. Knowing that I was walking away from everything that I loved and desired for my life was hard enough; but knowing that I was probably walking into my death made it even worse.

The suits in Washington didn't sugar coat this assignment. They needed two of the best to infiltrate and take down a sex ring in Central America. Ranger and I were two of the best and being part Cuban would make it easier for us to blend in.

I saw the tears in Steph's eyes before I left and they broke my heart. She had been so strong for the entire week. I only caught her crying once, and that was at my family's dinner. I knew asking them to look after her was the right thing to do. They would be there when I couldn't. She would at least have a part of me close to her and they would have to do.

As I walked away, I knew that she was crying in our bed. I could picture her curled up in a ball with the tears running down her beautiful face. The sobs making her small body shake and quiver. Thinking about it made me want to run back up those stairs and hold her and kiss away those tears. I wanted to promise her that everything would be okay, but I couldn't really make that promise because I refused to lie to her.

I knew, before I ever signed that damn contract, that it could end with my death. All of us knew that and yet all of us signed it anyway. We all thought we were invincible. We thought we lived for the Army. I thought all that bullshit until I met Stephanie. After that chance meeting, I only wanted to live for her. She was my world and my life.

Tank and Ranger were waiting in the SUV in front of the house as I walked out. Ranger spent the drive going over business with Tank. He looked at me in the rearview mirror and asked me a surprising question.

"Do you think Stephanie would do some client meetings? I think she would be really good at it and it would get her out of the office more." I knew she **could** do it, but she might balk at the idea at first. She didn't have a whole lot of confidence in herself.

"I think she would be great at it. You'll have to persuade her, Tank, to take the first meeting. But once she see's that she's good at it, she'll blow your expectations out of the water." Ranger nodded and told Tank to speak to Steph later that morning **if** she came into the office. I wanted to tell him that she would be there, but I kept it to myself.

We made the rest of the ride in silence. Ranger and I were going over the mission in our minds. Looking for any problems or holes in our covers. That's what we all did before going under. Things like that is what kept you alive.

Tank pulled up to the small, private airport and parked next to the RangeMan jet. It would take us to the undisclosed location where we were meeting the rest of our team. Ranger and I loaded our bags on the jet and I watched as Ranger said goodbye to Tank. I hung back for a second and approached the big man when Ranger stepped onto the plane.

"You don't even have to say it. I'll watch out for your woman. You have my word on that." I smiled because I didn't even have to ask what I wanted to. I guessed I was easy to read.

"Thanks, Man. I know her and Mark want to partner up and I told him that I was cool with it, but watch out for him. There's something about him that I don't trust and I can't for the life of me figure it out." Tank smiled and shook his head.

"Could it be that you're just jealous of him?" I thought about that and chalked my feelings to jealousy at first, but there was something else. Something that I couldn't pin point.

"Some jealousy, but I trust Steph. I don't trust him and maybe that's where the problem lies." Tank got serious and nodded. I knew he would watch him closely now. I shook his hand and turned to get on the plane, but I was stopped by Tank's booming voice.

"You and Ranger finish this shit, but you make sure you come home to that little girl. She would be lost without you." I saluted him and climbed the stairs. Before I knew it, we were flying away from my love. My head and the rest of my body were going with me to a small town outside of Tegucigalpa, but my heart was still laying in bed with a curly-haired brunette. I prayed that entire flight I kept my promise and made it home to her.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

Thank you all so much for your reviews! I get absolutely giddy when my phone chimes with an incoming email from FF. I love every word you guys leave me.

As promised...the angst starts here. This time, though, it's not going to end so quickly. I hope you all enjoy and I'll see you on the other side.

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**SPOV**

The day that Les left was probably the hardest day of my life. I spent hours crying in our bed and praying for his and Ranger's safe return. When the tears finally stopped, I pulled myself together and decided to start my day. The sooner it started the sooner it would be over and the sooner Les would be home.

After showering and dressing in my RangeMan uniform, I headed down to my SUV and started toward the office. Les told me that I should take the day off and that everyone would understand. But with him and Ranger gone, I knew there would be more work to do and I wanted to help. Besides, it would make the time go by faster. If I spent the day wallowing in my self-pity, then I would go nuts.

I drove to the office and parked in my normal spot. Cal pulled in right behind me and was waiting for me at the elevator. His eyes showed concern and I tried to smile to let him know that I was okay. Next to Hector, Cal was my favorite Merry Man. He always had a dirty joke for me and I loved laughing with him, and that day was was no different.

"Hey, Angel are you ready for a bad one?" I smiled and nodded my head as we stepped into the elevator.

"Okay. Three guys go to a ski lodge, and there aren't enough rooms, so they have to share a bed. In the middle of the night, the guy on the right wakes up and says, 'I had this wild, vivid dream of getting a hand job!' The guy on the left wakes up, and unbelievably, he's had the same dream, too. Then the guy in the middle wakes up and says, 'That's funny, I dreamed I was skiing!'" I laughed out loud as the doors opened on the command floor. All the guys working stopped and stared at me in shocked disbelief.

"Thanks for that, Cal. I needed a good laugh." He smiled and I kissed his tattoo before heading to my cubicle. Before I could get there though, Tank asked to speak to me. Stashing my things at my desk, I walked to Tank's office and wondered if I'd done something to get myself into trouble.

His head was down as he looked at a file on his desk. "What's up, Big Guy?" His lips tipped up in a small smile and he raised his head up to look at me.

Pointing to the chair across from his desk, Tank got right to the point. "I have a favor to ask." I sat in the chair and raised a questioning eyebrow. Okay, so it was both eyebrows.

"Les, as you know, was in charge of meeting with clients. New, old, and even prospective clients. Since he's gone, Bobby is picking up what he can but we're still short-staffed. Ranger and Les thought that you would be good with clients." He leaned forward and rested his large arms on his desk. He gave me a puppy dog look with huge eyes and even stuck his bottom lip out a little. "Will you, please, take the 1100 client meeting today?" Shit! I couldn't ever say no when the guys said please and the puppy dog face was too freaking cute. But I doubted that I could I do client meetings. I didn't know enough about the business to sell our product to someone. Tank read my thoughts and smiled at me.

"You can spend the morning going over the contract. It's a new client that we've tried to get for the past couple of months. Les and Ranger both haven't been successful because he's old and crotchety and thinks we're charging too much. I think you're just what the doctor ordered for the old fart." I had to laugh at Tank's description. A mental picture of Scrooge McDuck popped into my mind which only solidified my earlier thought. I was going to do it.

"Okay. Is Bobby available to answer any questions that I might have about the contract before I leave?" Tank smiled and nodded his head enthusiastically.

"He'll be here until 1030. He's got a meeting the same time you do. Ella's bought you some clothes and they're waiting for you in her apartment on six. She's agreed to let you get dressed up there."

"Clothes? You mean I have to wear pantyhose?" Shit! I decided to rethink the assignment. I hated wearing pantyhose. Tank's booming laughter brought me out of my grumbling about undergarments.

"Business suits don't **always** require pantyhose. I think Les requested Ella get you some thigh-highs. Go up and see what you think. She can always buy something different if you need it." I rolled my eyes at the thigh-highs. Les did always liked taking the stockings off of me. I could almost feel his lips on the skin as the silky fabric peeled away tom my body. Then his tongue...

"Steph!" I looked at Tank and saw a shit eating grin on his face. I hated that the guys had stupid ESP.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry, I got distracted." Tank's loud laugh made me jump and I rolled my eyes and flipped him off as I exited his office with the file in my hand. His laugh continued to follow me down the hall.

I spent the next couple hours going over the file and calling Bobby with the questions I came up with. He answered everything and helped me understand the process a little better. It was my job to convince the client that this contract was the best option for him.

The client was 68 year-old billionaire, Travis Gilmore. He owned a chain of furniture stores across New Jersey and even starred in his own TV commercials. I'd been watching him on TV almost my entire life. His previous security company went out of business and he was shopping around for a new company to provide security for all of his stores along with his home. The total contract price was for 7.2 million dollars a year. My eyes bugged out when I read the price. One million for each store and .2 for his home, or should I say his estate. Business was apparently very good.

An hour before I needed to leave, I said goodbye to Bobby and ran up to the six floor. Ella greeted me with a smile and showed me into a guest room. She opened the closet and my mouth fell open. Inside were designer suits that I knew cost thousands of dollars each. Under each suit sat expensive shoes that matched. A bag was hanging with each outfit and when I glanced in one, I saw it held the lingerie and jewelry that went along with the outfit. I was in heaven.

I picked out a gorgeous Donna Karen suit that I knew would look amazing on me. It was charcoal grey and had a black camisole to go under the tight-fitting jacket. The skirt hit right above my knees and hugged my curves. The jacket fit perfectly and I moaned when I slid my stocking clad feet into a pair of Louboutin Decollete pumps. I slipped the simple earrings in each ear and the matching necklace around my neck to complete the look. I gave a fluff to my hair and touched up my make-up a little before saying goodbye to Ella and heading out of the door.

I had to make an appearance on the fifth floor to get the file and my partner, so I headed down there. I stepped off the elevator to catcalls and whistles and stopped in the middle of the floor to do a slow turn, showing off my designer clothes. Tank stepped out of his office at the noise and his mouth fell open when he saw me. I laughed at his obviously shocked expression and walked toward him, putting a swing in my hips.

"Who's my partner today, Big Boy?" I purred into his ear as I closed his mouth with my finger. I felt him shiver and then stepped back away laughing. It took him a second to shake the stupor off, but he finally got his head clear to answer me.

"You're with Mark today. I want him to see this process since he'll be your partner after his week with Cal." I nodded and turned to find Mark. I didn't have to look hard because I found him waiting by the elevator with a smile on his face. He had changed into a gorgeous tailored suit and looked amazingly yummy. I'd never seen him dressed like that before. We never went out anywhere fancy and back in his college days, his wardrobe consisted of jeans and T-Shirts.

"Are you ready to go, Gorgeous?" He asked as I approached him. I simply nodded and walked into the waiting elevator with him.

The drive to the client's store was quiet. I was thinking about the meeting and trying to not let the butterflies take over my stomach. I was nervous and Mark picked up on my feelings. He didn't say anything, he simply picked up my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze before setting it on his upper thigh. He held it there the entire drive. It was just a friendly show of support, so I kept it there. He gave it one last squeeze as we pulled up in front of our destination.

My first client meeting went surprisingly well. The client loved me immediately and called me a 'breath of fresh air' compared to the other people sent before me. I knew he was talking about Les and Ranger, but didn't mention it to him. He signed the contract without negotiating and I walked away happy that I just made the company 7.2 million dollars. Les would be proud.

I called Tank immediately after getting back into the SUV and told him the good news. He wasn't shocked that I'd gotten the contract and ordered us to go to Shorty's to celebrate. He said he would bring the guys who were available. Since we were across town, Mark and I got to the restaurant last and I laughed when I saw the five black SUV's parked out front. The restaurant wasn't very big, so I worried about the guys filling it past capacity.

Mark and I walked into the restaurant and the cheers erupted. I got picked up and hugged by every Merry Man there, which happened to be just about everyone that worked at RangeMan Trenton, minus Les and Ranger. Tank called in contract workers to handle the monitors so everyone could celebrate with me.

Lunch that day was a blast. I had to go over every detail of my meeting with the guys numerous times. They were all amazed that I got the old fart to sign the full contract. There was even a betting pool going on if the client would go with the company or not. Vince won fifteen hundred dollars. He gave me a kiss for helping him win.

After the lunch was over and the guys started to leave, Tank and I were talking about another meeting he had for me to do the next day. Surprisingly, I was excited about doing it. Tank and I were deep in conversation when Mark approached the table. "Hey, Tank. You got a minute?"

Tank looked up, annoyed, and nodded. I started to get up to give them privacy, but Mark sat in the booth beside me trapping me inside. I assumed he didn't care if I heard their conversation. "Is there an apartment on four available?" Tank raised an eyebrow and glared at him.

"You told me that you had alternative housing and didn't need a place at Haywood. I gave the only open unit to Rabbit." Clyde, AKA Rabbit, was one of the guys who started with Mark. Turned out he could run really fast, especially when there's gunfire behind him.

"Well, shit, turns out that the place I am staying in has been foreclosed on. The owners haven't been paying, so the bank is kicking everyone out. I have to find a place to live by Friday." He glanced at me, but I couldn't read his expression.

"I'm sure you'll find something. Let me know if you need any help with anything." Tank all but dismissed him, but Mark still sat and let out a long sigh.

"I've looked, and there's nothing." He looked at me again. "I guess I'll stay with my grandma until I find a place." That made me make a face. I remembered his grandma. She was a horrible, bitter old woman who treated him like shit. She called him a no good deadbeat and that was years ago. I was sure she hadn't improved with age. I didn't think before I spoke and before I knew it, my mouth was spewing something that I would later come to regret.

"I have a huge house with empty guest rooms. Stay with me until you find something. The house is going to be lonely without Les there." Tank glared at me and Mark smiled.

"Are you sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable." I thought about his question for several minutes. Was I sure? I knew Les would probably be really pissed when he found out, but all I was doing was helping a friend. Right? Tank was staring at me, trying to get my attention, but I ignored him.

"I'm sure. I bet we won't even see each other much." Mark smiled again and kissed my cheek before sliding out of the booth and heading out the door.

Once Mark was gone, Tank didn't waste any time letting me know how he felt. "I don't like this at all, Steph. This whole set up feels staged and I don't trust that little prick." Tank looked at me with a pointed stare. I saw the worry on his face and nodded.

"It will be okay. I trust Mark and I know that I'll never let anything happen. I honestly doubt I see much of him and it's only for a short while. I'll make sure he's looking for a permanent place." Tank searched my face for something that I guess he found. He nodded his head and changed the subject back to work.

Mark moved into the house the next day. He didn't have that many belongings, so it only took him a few trips to get everything into his room. I put him in the guest room located at the other end of the second story. It was as far away from my bedroom as possible. It was going to have to work.

The first night he was there, we spent eating pizza and watching a movie. Mark had always been a big horror fan, so we found Texas Chainsaw Massacre on HBO and settled in to watch the blood. I forgot how absolutely twisted that movie was and I found myself curled up next to Mark hiding my face into his shoulder.

When it was over, we said goodnight and each headed toward our own bedrooms. I locked my door that first night and I can't even tell you why. My instincts were telling me that something was off, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. I shrugged it off and fell into bed. I spent about an hour that night thinking and praying for Les and Ranger. I cried a few tears before finally falling asleep and dreaming of Les.

The next week went by in similar fashion. I had a schedule full of client meetings and would take whoever was available with me. Mark was supposed to start as my full-time partner the next week, so I enjoyed spending the days with different Merry Men. I hardly saw Mark at work, but he was at the house every evening and we would eat dinner together and either watch a movie or play a game. It was comfortable, and I started to doubt my instincts.

The Friday that Mark and the other new employees came off probation, the guys and I wanted to go out to celebrate. Since we couldn't decide on a bar, we all headed to my house with beer and tequila. I warned the guys that I wasn't feeling too well, so I probably wouldn't drink much with them, but they insisted on me doing at least one shot. After that first shot burned down my throat, I switched to water and laughed the entire night with my guys.

It was well past midnight when the last Merry Man got driven home by the sober chauffeur and the house was quiet. Mark was well past drunk and was sitting on the couch trying to toss a beer cap into a cup. I saw two shots poured out in front of him when I entered the room. "I'm going to bed. I'll clean up after you animals tomorrow." I turned to go upstairs when Mark's hand stopped me.

"Do one last shot with me, please. It's to officially welcome me to RangeMan." I rolled my eyes and grabbed the shot that he held out to me.

Holding the shot up, I smiled at him. "Welcome to RangeMan, Mark." I tossed the shot back and made a face as it burned its way down my throat. "Now, goodnight."

"Good night, Tigress." I paused as Mark's words sent a chill through me. He hadn't called me that since that very first day at the office. It was the name he used to use when we were in bed and I didn't like hearing the way it rolled off his tongue. I shook off the chill and finished climbing the stairs. I locked my door and headed toward the bathroom. Before I got there, the room started to spin and I stumbled into the wall.

Wondering what the hell was wrong with me, I slid down the wall and took some deep breaths. I only had two shots and those were hours apart, so I knew there was no way that I was drunk. I tried to shake it off, but the feeling just got worse. I crawled toward my bed and laid down hoping to stop the room from spinning. I knew I needed to call Bobby because something was seriously wrong. I reached for my phone, but the darkness swirled around me before I could hit the speed dial button. The last thing I heard before getting lost in the dark was the click as my door unlocked.

I woke up the next morning confused with a pounding headache. My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth and my mouth tasted like I made out with a skunk all night. I groaned and rolled over into a hard warm body.

What the fuck?! I slowly picked up my head to see Mark laying in bed with me, naked. Shit! I prayed that he just got lost. I knew that I was fully clothed when I passed out, but fear shot through me as I realized that I didn't feel anything covering my body right then. I glanced down at myself and saw my worst fear. Me naked, laying in bed with a naked Mark. I wondered what I'd done the night before.

As slowly as I could, so I wouldn't wake Mark, I rolled out of bed and grabbed the sheet, wrapping it around me as best I could. I was mortified. Surely I didn't have sex with him. I did a little wiggle and I didn't feel sore, so that was a good sign right? I sat in the chair in the corner of the room watching Mark breathe wondering how could I explain what happened to Les? Even if Mark and I didn't have sex, how could I explain that I slept with him? Fuck! Why did I do that last shot?

I quietly made my way to the bathroom and sank down against the closed door. Feeling the weight of what I did crash into me was enough to send me into hysterics. Les will never forgive me and I will never forgive myself for hurting him and breaking his trust. My fiancé was off fighting for our country, and I was sleeping with another man. What kind of woman does that? I let the tears fall as I clutched the sheet to my naked body. Something wasn't adding up, but I couldn't seem to pin down what it was exactly.

My stomach lurched and I dove for the toilet and emptied the contents that it was holding. After I finished puking, I rested my head on my arms and cried again. I felt a cool rag on my neck and scooted away from where I knew Mark was standing. I didn't want him touching me.

"What the fuck are you doing? Why were you in my bed?" He looked at me with a concerned gaze and sat down in front of me on the floor.

"You don't remember last night, Steph?" I shook my head and looked at him with wide eyes.

"After you went to bed, I stayed downstairs and watched some TV. You came down about an hour after you went up wearing nothing but a smile and begged me to make you purr." My stomach rolled again. That was how I told him I wanted sex when we were dating. "You practically jumped me when I said that I wasn't going to. You're engaged to another man. But you told me that you missed me and that you always loved me." No, that didn't happen. That couldn't have happened. Why couldn't I remember? "You led me up to your bedroom, Steph. We had sex all night. You don't remember any of it?" He looked at me with hurt in his eyes.

"I don't remember anything. I came up here and the room started spinning, and I passed out. I don't remember it." Tears fell from my eyes again. I felt horrible. I had sex with him.

"So I guess you don't remember what you told me right before you fell asleep?" Mark looked away from me. Fuck! I wondered what I said to him? I shook my head but didn't speak. "You told me you were leaving Les and wanted to live with me. You took off your engagement ring and told me that it was always me that you wanted." I glanced down at my left hand and sure enough, the ring was gone. A fresh wave of grief crashed into me. What had I done?

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A/N - So I'm officially in hiding now. I didn't mean for this to be the Friday chapter so I apologize to you who currently have stones ready to throw at my head. I would post a bonus chapter this weekend, but unfortunately my husband is home and I go offline when he's here. Monday will come quick, though, and you will get the next chapter then! I promised angst and you're getting another dose now. =)


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

Let me start by apologizing for the delay in posting this chapter. Not only did I leave you with a cliffhanger, I left you for almost two weeks. My life turned into a Fan fiction story last week and I needed some time to get my head straight. Thank you for your words of encouragement and for your understanding. It was greatly appreciated!

And now...on with the show!

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**Chapter 21**

**SPOV**

When I was little, my mother and I had a routine. She would tuck me in and listen as I said my prayers and then she would read to me a story from my favorite book. I had every book in the collection of Aesop's Fables. They were my favorite things to read because each story held a nugget of a lesson. When I was little, I didn't always pick up on them; but years later, I still remembered some of those stories and the lessons that they shared.

One in story, in particular, filled my mind in the weeks following my mistake with Mark. "The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm passed over." The lesson behind that was important to me. If you try to stand against the wind, then you will get blown over if you're not strong enough to face the force of the wind. But if you bend with the wind and wait for the storm to pass, then you'll be safe. That was exactly what I intended to do too because the storm of life was raging around me and I didn't feel strong enough to survive it's wind.

After the morning that I woke up with Mark, I threw myself into deep denial. Mark found an apartment two days later and moved out of my house which I was extremely thankful for. He and I remained partners at work simply because I didn't want to cause the guys to suspect anything. I was terrified to tell the Merry Men what happened because I honestly thought they'd look at me differently. They were Les' friends first and they'd take his side if or when we decided to split. It was selfish of me, but I needed my friends, so I kept what happened hidden. But, the big issue for me was I was sure that NOTHING happened that night.

Mark and I didn't talk about that night at all and I put my engagement ring back in its proper place. I refused to believe that I betrayed Les like Mark suggested. I didn't see myself doing what he said I did. I loved Les with every ounce of my being and wouldn't ever cheat on him. I didn't drink that much that night, so he couldn't use the 'you were drunk' excuse. He still claimed it all happened just as he said, but he didn't push me about it. We worked together and that was it. The guys suspected nothing. I thought everything would work out, but I was wrong.

About a month after Les left, I came down with a stomach virus. I spent most of my mornings in the bathroom praying to the porcelain god. Even though I'd sleep all night, I was still exhausted and had to fight myself from crawling back into my bed. But since I had client meetings lined up, I made myself get up and go into the office every day. After a week of the same routine, Bobby knew something was wrong and called me to his office one afternoon.

"Tell me what's going on, Steph. You look like hell and you practically fell asleep in the meeting this morning." I did my best to cover up the dark circles, but nothing worked. I was sleeping, but I was always tired. The puking every morning didn't help my appearance either.

"I'm okay. Just have a little stomach bug. It will pass and I'll be back to normal." I tried to smile, but his frown told me that he didn't believe me.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were sick? I need to make sure you're not dehydrated. Have you thrown up? What are your symptoms?" Bobby was firing questions at me at warp speed while he gathered stuff to take my blood and vitals. I sighed and decided since he was the medic, he needed to know what was going on.

"It started about a week or so ago. I puke in the mornings and sometimes in the evening. The worst is just how tired I am. I sleep, but I'm still exhausted." He nodded and drew my blood. After he checked my vitals and listened to my heart and lungs, he wrapped the stethoscope around his neck and sat in front of me.

"I'm going to run these tests and I'll call you later. Drink some Gatorade and try to eat something." I nodded and hopped off the exam table and left his office. I got a bottle of Gatorade out of the gym refrigerator and made my way back up to my cubicle where Mark was waiting for me.

"Is everything going okay, Steph? The guys said that you went to see Bobby. Are you sick?" His look was caring, but his posture and tone was almost eager. It was liike he was almost excited that I was sick.

"I'm fine. It's just a bug. How are the searches going?" A look of disappointment crossed his face, but he masked it behind the blank look. Tank had me training Mark to do the more advanced searches. He'd caught on surprisingly well and was almost as good as I was.

"They're going good. I'm almost done with one and then I'll pass it to you to look over." I nodded and sat in my chair to get busy with the client's contract who I had met with this morthe day. The client wanted some additional security features added, so I needed to amend the original paper work. I felt Mark just standing behind me and got really annoyed.

"Was there something else?" My tone was sharp and bitter.

Mark let out a sigh and leaned down to whisper into my ear. "You can't hate me forever, Tigress. You'll come to your senses soon." Mark's words caused me to burn with anger and I turned to yell at him, but he was gone. Tank was standing in his place and looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Trouble in paradise?" He honestly thought everything was perfect in our partnership.

"Everything's fine. I just don't feel well." I turned back around so Tank couldn't see the tears in my eyes. I didn't know why I was so damn emotional.

"Bobby called me and asked me to bring you down to his office. He needs to talk to both of us." Shit. Surely he didn't have the lab tests done that fast. It had only been about an hour since he had taken the blood.

"Okay." I let out a long sigh. "I'll meet you down there. I need to stop at the restroom." Tank looked at me and brushed a tear off my face and smiled at me. I assumed he thought the tears were caused by Les being away. I didn't correct that assumption.

Tank left me at the restroom and headed down to Bobby's office without me. I did my business and cleaned up my face as best I could before going down. I wasn't sure I really wanted to hear what Bobby found.

I found Tank and Bobby deep in conversation when I entered the office, so I hopped up onto the exam table and waited to hear the results of my tests. Tank walked over and stood behind me. He rested his big hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

Bobby sat on the stool in front of me and looked directly into my eyes. "Steph. Are you on any form of birth control?" My eyes got huge and one thought raced through my mind. 'Oh please, God, no!'

"I get the shot every three months. I'm due to go in next week for another one. Why?" Bobby bit his lip and handed me a report of the blood work. I had no idea what I was looking at.

"Just tell me what's going on Bobby." I handed the papers back to him and he glanced at Tank.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant." After hearing that, I welcomed the darkness.

"Stephanie, open your eyes, Honey. Please. Shit, Les is going to kill me." Tank's voice was frantic and I felt a blood pressure cuff tighten around my arm. My eyes fluttered open and I saw a worried looking Bobby and then an even more worried Tank. I'd never seen them so panic stricken before.

"What the hell happened?" I tried to sit up, but Bobby pushed me back onto the bed.

"You passed out. Do you remember what we were talking about?" I tried to think, but it hurt a lot to use that much brain power. I shook my head and Bobby sighed.

"I told you that you're pregnant and you passed out. Tank caught you before you fell off the table, but I'm still worried." Wait, did he say pregnant? I couldn't be pregnant. I was on the birth control shot.

"No birth control is one hundred percent." Bobby read my thoughts and answered my question before I ever asked it. I rolled my eyes and then something hit me.

"I drank a month ago. It was the night that we celebrated the end of the newbies probations. I only had two shots, but do you think it hurt the baby?" Bobby looked to be thinking. Then another thought passed through my mind. What if the baby wasn't there then. What if the baby was Mark's? No...I didn't sleep with him. The baby was Les' baby.

"I doubt two shots would cause any problems but we'll schedule an appointment with your OB/GYN soon so they can check stuff out." Bobby and Tank looked at me as I bit my lip and had another internal conversation.

"Will they do an ultrasound then?"

"I can request they do one. Is there something you're worried about? Something we're looking for?" Bobby questioned me with a raised eyebrow.

"Not really. I was Just curious about the date of conception. Les and I spent that week before he left practically attached." Bobby and Tank both smiled at me.

"The ultrasound should be able to give you an idea of the conception date. I'll call your doctor now and hopefully get you in tomorrow. I don't like that you passed out." Bobby left to call my doctor. Tank stayed behind and just looked at me. I sat on the table biting my lip and thinking. I was praying the baby was Lester's.

"Are you sure everything is okay, Steph? You know you can talk to me about anything." Tank looked at me with genuine concern. Suddenly, the news of the pregnancy, the exhaustion, and the whole Mark thing just became too much for me to handle and I broke into tears. Tank looked shocked for a second and then pulled me into his massive arms.

He held me while I cried and stroked my hair, shushing me occasionally. He would whisper encouraging words in my ear and when he said 'it will be okay', I knew that it wouldn't. I broke for a second time and sobbed out everything that happened that night with Mark. I just couldn't hold it in anymore. Tank stiffened when I told him the story and soon the comforting was gone. He stepped away and walked out the door without a backwards glance.

I cried harder when I realized that I'd just lost his trust and Tank as a friend. He'd been my support system since Les had been gone and I'd just lost that. Bobby had entered the room and heard me tell the story to Tank. He didn't approach me on the table and I could imagine the look of disgust on his face. I didn't have the courage to look at him. I felt his arms come around me and he began to comfort me. I didn't deserve his comfort. I didn't deserve anything. I was a horrible person that probably got pregnant by a man who isn't her fiancé. I tried to pull away from Bobby because I was too ashamed, but he just held me tighter and tried to calm me.

"Steph, you need to calm down, Sweetheart. Being this upset isn't good for you or the baby." Hearing that didn't make me feel better. I actually felt worse. Not only was I a terrible fiancé, but I was also a bad mom, too. I tried to calm down and get my breathing back under control, but it was hard. I was just too damn upset. We sat for who knows how long, Bobby holding and comforting me while I cried.

Finally, after I'd calmed down slightly, Bobby's voice broke the silence of the office. "Tank isn't angry at you, Steph. He left to take care of Mark, because he took advantage of another man's woman. That won't be ignored. All of the guys are going to want a go at him when they find out." I looked up at Bobby with panic in my eyes.

"No, please don't tell anyone else. I'm so ashamed! I don't want the guys to know what I did. I won't be able to face them. Please, Bobby, don't tell them!" Bobby pulled me back into his arms and stroked my hair.

"No one will look at you differently. Mark took advantage of you. If you can believe him, then he knew you were intoxicated. He shouldn't have let that happen." I shook my head frantically.

"That's the thing, Bobby. I wasn't intoxicated. I had one shot early in the evening with the guys and then another one hours later after everyone left and before I went to bed. I'm a lightweight, but that's ridiculous." I hoped Bobby caught onto what I was saying. I couldn't come out and say that I thought Mark drugged me. I didn't want to accuse him of something like that.

"We'll work it out, Steph. You need to calm down, though. I can feel your heartbeat racing. You need to slow it down." I sat in Bobby's arms trying my hardest to calm myself more. I knew that panicking wasn't good for the baby and I honestly didn't want to harm it.

Even though I wasn't ready to be a mom, the second I heard that I was pregnant (well, the second time) I started falling in love with the life growing inside me. I knew in my heart that the baby belonged to Les. I knew that we created that life the week before he left on his mission.

Several minutes after his hasty exit, Tank came storming back in with a beaten and bruised looking Mark. I suppressed a giggle and then felt bad for Mark. Tank pulled me out of Bobby's arms and sat down with me in his lap. Bobby looked Mark over, none too carefully, and then stood in front of the broken man.

Mark took in Bobby's aggressive stance and my tear stained face. Tank was still radiating rage, but I knew that it wasn't directed at me.

"You got something to say to Stephanie?" Tank's booming voice from behind me made me jump, but he held me tighter. Mark looked at me and winced. The guys didn't know him like I did, so they didn't see the gleam in his blue eyes.

"I'm sorry I took advantage of you Stephanie. Even though you came on to..." Bobby stopped that statement with a punch to the face.

"You don't get to blame her." Bobby yelled at him and punched him again.

"I'm sorry. All I meant was that I thought she wanted it just as much as I did." He looked at me and smiled.

"Do you have news for me?" I felt my stomach roll. I didn't know if it was his or not and I refused to tell him anything before I figured it out.

"You don't get to speak to her ever again. You will be reassigned a partner and you will stay as far away from Stephanie as humanly possible. Understand?" Mark's eyes hardened as he looked at Tank.

"If she's knocked up, then I have a right to know. I take my responsibilities seriously." I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Bobby punched him again.

"Tank asked you a question and you will answer him without spewing more of your shit. Yes or no? Do you understand Tank's orders?" Bobby was slightly pissed and I saw understanding dawn on Mark's face. He understood that he needed to back off for the time being. Both of those men could kill him in a matter of seconds.

"Understood." Bobby and Tank looked at each other and had a silent conversation. Whatever was decided wasn't mentioned to me. Bobby gave Mark some painkillers and dismissed him from his office.

When it was just Tank, Bobby and I in the office Tank stood and sat me back on the table. He took his position behind me with his hand on my shoulder. Bobby sat in front of me on the little doctor's stool again.

"Steph, do you think Mark is the father?" Bobby's voice was calm and quiet. Gone was the angry man who'd just beaten the shit out of Mark. I honestly didn't know how to answer that question. I thought I was protected from this shit. I couldn't speak, so I just shrugged.

"I honestly don't think Mark and I even had sex that night. I can't remember anything and I didn't feel sore the next day. I just can't figure out why he's lying about it." I caught a glance between Tank and Bobby, but chose to ignore it. I felt horrible about what I allowed to happen and the tears started to fall again.

"It will be okay, Steph. We'll take one day at a time. Your appointment is for tomorrow at 1420. I'll clear our schedules and I'll go with you." I was thankful for Bobby's support.

"Trust your instincts Steph. Les and Ranger believe in them. and you should too." Tank squeezed my shoulder again. I turned and gave him a sad smile. I had no idea what I did to deserve their friendship and support, but I knew that I couldn't survive without it.

My appointment came entirely too fast the next day. Bobby and I drove to the doctor's office in silence. I prayed that the date matched up to what I thought it should be. I stayed up late the night before checking when my last cycle was and when my ovulation time was supposed to be. According to my calculations, the baby was Les'. I just prayed the doctor said the same thing.

Bobby stayed with me as the doctor did his exam because I didn't want to be alone. After all the measurements were taken and he had done a thorough exam, the doctor removed his gloves and sat down on the stool in front of me and grabbed my chart.

"Okay, Ms. Plum. You are, in fact, pregnant. From the dates of your last period and from the measurements I got from the exam, I'd say you're about five to nine weeks along. The note in your chart says you are concerned about some spotting. Was this before or after you got pregnant?"

"That's what I'm not sure. You said I was between five and nine weeks pregnant?" The doctor nodded and my heart fell. That wasn't enough information for me. "Is there any way to narrow

that down to a closer date?"

The doctor looked at me and smiled. "We can do an ultrasound if you'd like, but it's going to have to wait. Our technician is out this week due to a death in her family. We can schedule you to come back in next week when she's back and then she can give you a more definite date of conception. Spotting can happen, and should be monitored so just let me know if you have any more problems, okay?" I nodded and after a few more helpful words of advice, the doctor gave me a prescription for prenatal vitamins and said he would see me the next month.

I felt numb walking out of the office building. Numb, sick, and a little lost. Bobby had left me standing in the front while he went to get the SUV, so I was standing alone when I suddenly felt a presence behind me. I recognized his scent before he ever spoke and my blood ran cold when I felt his hands on my stomach and heard his whispered voice. "I knew yesterday that you were pregnant and seeing you out here confirms it. You're not going to keep my child away from me, Stephanie. I have every right to be part of its life."

Knocking Mark's hands away, I turned around and shoved him back a step or two away from me. "This baby is NOT yours and you were told to stay the fuck away from me."

The sneer that covered Mark's face made me take a step back and instinctively cover my stomach. His voice was cold and when he took another step closer to me, I felt his anger when he spoke. "This baby IS mine and I will make damn sure that it and YOU are taken care of. I will not let you deny me this."

Before I could respond, Mark was gone and the noise of the SUV pulling up beside me snapped me back to reality. Bobby smiled when he opened the door for me, but that quickly fell away when he saw how visibly shaken I was. "Steph, are you okay?"

I simply shook my head and climbed into the vehicle. Bobby let out a sigh and jogged around to the driver's side. He looked at me before pulling away and while his words were meant to comfort, they only made my heart hurt more. "Les is going to be thrilled about the baby, Steph. Don't worry about it. He's wanted kids for a long time."

The next week passed so slowly. Mark, thankfully stayed away from me, but he was never far from my mind. I was certain that he and I didn't have sex that night which meant the baby was Les', but doubts crept in and fear ate at my soul.

The morning of my ultrasound, I was a complete mess. I spent an hour hugging the toilet and barely made out to the front of my house to meet Bobby. He looked at me speculatively when I first got into the SUV, but I brushed him off and he left it alone. Before I knew it, we were both at my doctor's office and were waiting patiently for the technician.

After waiting what seemed like an eternity, the ultrasound tech came into the room and she smiled at Bobby. When her eyes fell on me, though, she narrowed them and I caught a look on her face, almost like she was jealous. I knew Bobby caught it too because he squeezed my hand that he was holding.

"Hi. My name is Janice and I'll be doing your ultrasound. The doctor said that you are looking for a conception date?" She seemed friendly, but there was a harness in her words.

"Yes. Is that possible?" My voice was full of hope.

"Should be. We'll see what's going on." She smiled and squirted the ice cold gel on my stomach. I felt the wand move around against my skin, but my eyes were on the small screen beside me. I watched as she pointed out a little bean looking blob and told me that was my baby. It was too early to hear the heartbeat but she did some measurements and then typed some information into the computer.

"According to the size of you baby, I'm going to say that you are around six weeks pregnant." She printed the picture and wiped my stomach off.

Six weeks? My heart fell. Bobby calculated too and I felt his head drop behind me. Six weeks would make the baby Mark's. Les has been gone almost seven weeks by that point in time. The technician handed me the picture and then left the room. Once the door closed, I collapsed into tears. My worst fears had just became my reality.

Sitting in that doctor's office with Bobby holding me, my mind wandered back to that reed blowing in the wind of the storm. I was bending while the winds roared around me, but just like that reed I had reached my breaking point. I'd seen reeds snap because they bent too long. I could only assume that I was the same way. I knew I could only stay safe from the winds for so long. Eventually the wind will get rough enough to break me. I just prayed that I have the guys to help put me back together.

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A/N - I hope it was worth the wait. I'll have the next chapter out on Wednesday, like normal.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine

Thank you all so much for the reviews and for welcoming me back. Life is still a little hectic, but that's okay. All you can do when life hands you lemons is grab the tequila and make margaritas. LOL!

We've still got some angst going so be warned. This chapter and the next were two of the hardest to write for me. BUT...like all storms, this too shall pass. Stick with me and you won't be disappointed. =)

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**Chapter 22**

**SPOV**

"Hey Steph, can you take the 1300 meeting with Peterson? I got to go patch up Binkie in the field. He caught a knife." I turned and smiled at Bobby, my partner at the time, and nodded. We had gone over the contract together, so I felt comfortable taking the meeting.

Tank paired Bobby and I up after I found out about the baby. He said it was to keep the medic close to me, but I think that he didn't trust any of the other guys and he sure as hell didn't trust Mark.

It'd been six months since I found out that I was pregnant and those six months were equal parts heaven and hell. The first couple of months I spent with my head in the toilet. I had horrible morning, afternoon, and evening sickness right up until my second trimester. But after it stopped, the rest of the pregnancy progressed like normal. My doctor was pleased with everything and I was getting excited to meet my little bean.

I refused to find out the sex of the baby. Since Les wasn't there to find out with me, then I didn't want to know either. I honestly didn't care what it was as long as it was healthy. Time was winding down and I was getting ready for delivery. We still hadn't heard from Les or Ranger but Tank told me that it was normal and not to worry. They were deep undercover and probably couldn't get word out safely. I couldn't help but worry, but I tried to have faith that Les would come home to me and our baby. Nothing could convince me that the baby wasn't Les' because I felt in my gut that Mark was not the father.

Keeping a lid on my condition was next to impossible and there was no way I could hide my pregnancy from the guys for long. Once I started showing, I made the announcement and got passed around to get my congratulation kisses and hugs. Mark watched from the corner with a smirk on his face. None of the guys knew what happened between us and I wanted it to stay that way. Tank and Bobby promised not to tell and Mark wasn't that stupid. He wouldn't survive the beatings if some of the guys knew what he'd done.

I didn't tell Mark what the ultrasound technician said about the conception date. I didn't have proof that she lied nor did I have a reason for **why** she would do that. All I had were my instincts that told me not to trust her. Mark tried a couple of times to make me tell him if the baby was his. Each time he talked to me about it, it was almost like he was fishing for the information that he already knew. It was weird and I couldn't explain it, but even Tank picked up on it one day. He agreed with me that there was something off with Mark.

Mark stayed away from me for the most part, except for the occasional fishing expedition. I was thankful for that, too. I didn't need the added stress that he always seemed to cause me. Tank and Bobby probably had a hand in keeping him away from me, but I didn't care. He wasn't bothering me, so that was all that mattered. Only one of the guys questioned why we stopped being partners, but after meeting Tank on the mats no one else ever brought it up again.

My mother wasn't happy that I got pregnant before marriage, but she was looking forward to meeting her new grandbaby. My dad was praying for a boy, but I was kinda hoping for a girl. Either would be fun, but I kinda liked the thought of dressing a little girl up in cute dresses. A little girl with Les' skin tone and his green eyes would be gorgeous, as long as she didn't inherit my hair.

I glanced up at the clock on the wall and realized that I needed to change if I was going to make the Peterson meeting on time. Ella had bought me a whole new wardrobe when she heard I was pregnant. There were new suits for every stage of the pregnancy that seemed to fit me perfectly. I swear the woman was a saint. I decided to suggest she get a raise when Ranger gets back.

Ella and Louis were in Georgia visiting their son for a week, so she'd given me a key to their apartment. I walked in and then headed straight to the room where my clothes were. I changed quickly and while I was fluffing my hair and touching up my make-up, I heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. All the guys knew Ella and Louis were gone, at least I thought they did, so the knock confused me. I opened the door to dismiss whoever it was but stopped when I saw Mark standing there.

"What do you want? Ella and Louis aren't here and I know you're not looking for me." I tried to turn and close the door in his face, but his boot stopped the door from closing.

"We need to talk Stephanie. You're carrying my child and it is past damn time for you to admit that." I turned and glared at him. Narrowing my eyes, I tried to read him, but his face was too blank.

"This baby is not yours. It belongs to my fiancé and if you have a question about that fact, I suggest you talk to Bobby." I stood my ground and stared at the man in front of me.

"Bullshit, I talked to your doctor. He told me the conception date when I said that I was the father. Why are you lying to yourself? You can't honestly think that the baby belongs to Les! Come on Steph, you're not stupid. You know what the doctor said, you know that baby belongs to me. Do you think Les is going to forgive you and raise my baby as his?" His words knocked the wind out of me. I didn't know what to think about what Les would do or say.

"Face reality, when he comes home from fighting in who knows where and finds you pregnant with MY baby, he's going to dump you so fast that your head will spin. Les isn't the type of man to forgive what happened! His pride is too big and you know it." I was shaking with anger and fear. I knew what Mark said about Les' pride was true. He was hurt when I just kissed Mark. He will be destroyed when I tell him that I slept with him.

"You need to leave before I call Tank. I told you that this baby belongs to Les and you need to accept that, Mark." I saw a flash of rage in his eyes, but he quickly hid anything further. That flash was enough for me to realize that he wasn't the same man who I knew in college. He was a dangerous man and for the first time since meeting him, I was a little scared of him.

"Just remember what I said. I'll be waiting for you when Les dumps you flat on your ass. I want to be in MY baby's life." Mark placed a hard kiss on my lips and stormed off toward the stairs. I looked up at the camera in the hallway and prayed that someone was watching and listening to that conversation.

I didn't have time to think about it any longer though. I was running late thanks to Mark, so I grabbed my stuff and dashed out the door. I still had to drive across town and stop by the fifth floor to grab Hal. He was my stand-in partner since Bobby was out doing his medic thing.

The meeting went as expected. The client was very pleased with the contract as written and signed it with very little pushing from me. He was happy with the terms and conditions so he signed. He did invite me to tour England with him after the meeting ended, but I laughed and politely declined his invitation. As much as I would love to tour England, I didn't want to do it with a 64 year old hustler.

On the drive back to the office, I went over everything that Mark had said in Ella's apartment. Did I really know who the father of the baby was? My instincts said Les, but everything else said Mark. I did a little research into the ultrasound tech and she came out clean. I even spoke with the doctor about her and he said she was one of the best in her field. So, if I trusted what everyone else was telling me, then Mark was the baby's daddy.

My gut, though, told me different. That little voice that told me to be careful when something was off was screaming at me. Plus, there was that feeling that I got when I talked to the technician. The looks that she gave me, and the looks that I caught crossing Mark's face, all of those things combined told me that something else was going on. All of those things told me that what I knew in my heart was the truth...Les was the dad.

FUCK! I wondered when my life got so screwed up. Who had I pissed off in a past life to deserve all the shit going on in my life? Why couldn't I just be a normal person and have a normal life? Oh, because I hated normal. I knew I would probably go mad in a normal life, but that didn't mean I was comfortable with the storm swirling around me.

"Steph. Are you okay?" I shook my head and looked into the concerned face of Hal. A sweep of my surroundings told me that we were back in the garage at Haywood. Huh, I wondered how long we'd been there.

"Yeah. Just spacey, I guess." Hal smiled and made the move to get out of the car, but stopped when he heard another car pull into the garage. He turned around and smiled at me and I noticed his eyes were sparkling, so I was a little confused at what made him so happy.

I opened my door, but before I could step out I was pulled out of the car by two very familiar arms. My lips were then assaulted by two very familiar lips. My eyes focused on the person kissing me and were immediately filled with tears. My fiancé was home.

He kissed me hard and passionately, then pulled back and sat my feet on the ground. He gently wiped my tears away and his eyes swept up and down my body. The minute his eyes rested on my swollen belly, the smile that he gave me was bright enough to light up Manhattan. His eyes sparkled with happiness and you could feel the excitement rolling off him.

"It is so good to see you, Beautiful." He kissed me again and ran his hand down to my belly. "And it looks like you have some news for me." My heart broke in that instant. I wanted to have news for him, but if I was being honest with myself, my instincts couldn't compare with doctor backed facts. I struggled with how to explain it to him.

I stood there stunned and gazed at the man I loved more than life. He looked thinner and I could see the bags under his eyes. Yet, they still sparkled and he still looked as handsome as ever. I hated what I was going to do to him.

"Come on, Beautiful. Let's go upstairs to my office and you can fill me in on what's been going on. Then, you are going offline with me for a couple of days, so that we can get reacquainted with each other." I finally snapped out of my daze and giggled as his eyebrows wiggled at me. I let him lead me to the elevator loving the feeling of my hand wrapped in his. He pulled me into his arms once more and our lips met again in a fiery kiss while we waited for the elevator to get down to the garage. When the doors opened, Mark and his partner Rabbit stepped out. Mark's glare that he sent Les and I sent a chill down my spine.

"Come on, Baby, I want you to tell me about our little one!" Les led me into the elevator and I heard Mark scoff. I prayed that he kept his mouth shut until I had time to talk to Les.

We walked onto the fifth floor to a chorus of cheers. Ranger was already up there getting welcomed back. He was wearing a cast on his leg, but otherwise looked the same. He smiled at me when he turned and saw me in Les' arms. I saw Tank whisper into his ear and they turned and walked into Tank's office. I was sure Ranger was getting the full report on my fucked up life.

Les shook hands with all the guys and led me to his office. The second the door was closed, I found myself pushed up against it with Les' hard body. His lips found mine in a hungry kiss that set my hormones on fire. I moaned into his mouth as his tongue entered mine, stroking and tasting me.

My hands fisted into his short hair and his were roaming down my body, starting fires that were burning my soul. He pulled me off the door and backed me up to the couch, his lips never leaving mine. He lowered me down and followed me with his body.

He pulled away and brushed my crazy hair out of my face. His eyes shone with love and adoration...and a touch of hunger. Okay, more than a touch.

"You have no idea how good it is to finally be able to kiss you." He whispered right before his lips met mine. I raised my hips to grind into his erection.

"I have a pretty good idea how good it is. I missed you so much, Baby." I pulled him down to hug him to me. I didn't want to let go because I knew that after I told him about Mark, I would never get to hold him again. I didn't know that I was crying until Les pulled away and wiped the tears from my face.

"What's wrong, Beautiful? I thought those were happy tears, but you look so sad." His eyes filled with concern which only made me cry harder. He gently kissed the tears off my face and whispered calming words to me. I struggled to sit up, so that I could calm myself down. I still had a lot of ground to cover and it was too early to be upset.

"I'm going to run to the restroom and then we can talk, okay?" I pushed myself up off the couch and Les stood with me to steady me. He smiled and kissed me again and then he did something that shattered what was left of my heart. Kneeling down in front of me, he placed a kiss on my belly and spoke to our unborn baby in Spanish.

_"Hello my Sweet Baby, I'm your Daddy and I want you to know that I love you so much. I didn't know that it was possible to love someone who you've never met until I saw you growing in your mama's belly. You keep growing so that you can come out strong. I can't wait to meet you little one."_

Tears filled my eyes as he spoke to my belly. I understood most of what he said and even if I didn't understand all of the words, I felt the raw emotion behind them. I knew the truth was going to kill him. Les stood and looked at me with tears in his eyes. "Hurry in the bathroom and I'll sit here and go through my mail." Les kissed me and swatted my butt out the door. I walked slowly to the bathroom, stalling for time. I was trying to come up with how and what to say to him. He deserved to know the truth even though it was going to destroy him.

I did my bathroom business and didn't bother washing my face. It was going to get a whole lot worse before the day was over, so why bother? I walked back toward Les' office and felt like a death row inmate walking to their execution. I glanced toward the elevator and stumbled when I saw the look that Mark was giving me. It was part anticipation and part triumph. I wanted to wipe that damn smug look off his face, but I chose to ignore it.

Les was sitting behind his desk when I got back into his office. I closed the door and started to approach his desk when he stopped me with one look. His eyes were filled with complete and utter sadness. It was such an abrupt change from when I left him that it made my breath catch. He was clutching an envelope in his hands and I caught a glance of a picture.

"You need to tell me something?" His voice was soft, but I could tell that he was barely holding onto the anger. All I could do was whimper. "Can't speak, Stephanie? You can't tell me that you're carrying another man's baby?" My heart stopped beating in my chest and I stopped breathing.

"I didn't..." I was going to say that I didn't want to hurt him, but the anger in Les burst forward and I didn't get to say what I wanted.

"You didn't what? You didn't fuck another man? Because the picture proves something different." He threw the picture at me and turned away. I picked it up and looked at it. An obviously naked Mark was laying next to an obviously naked me. In the picture I was curled up next to him, sound asleep.

"I didn't remember..." Again, I was going to say that I didn't remember what happened, but Les didn't want to hear it.

"You didn't remember our promises? Jesus Christ, Stephanie! When I put that goddamn ring on your finger that was a promise to you that I would never hurt you. That I would love you forever. When you let me put it on, you were promising me the same thing, or at least so I thought! How long did you wait? Huh? How long did you wait before fucking him in OUR BED!" The tears were pouring out of my eyes. I'd never seen Les so angry.

"Please listen to me." I finally found my voice and Les let me finish a sentence. He stood behind his desk with his arms crossed over his chest and nodded his head for me to continue. "I don't know what happened that night. I don't remember, but I have no reason to believe that this baby isn't yours." Les' eyes sparked fire. He picked up something else off his desk and I saw that it was an ultrasound picture.

"Don't you dare fucking lie to me. I've dreamed about seeing you grow round with my child. I've prayed and asked for forgiveness for the things that I've done, so that I could be a good father. My every fantasy came true when I saw you in the garage and realized that you were pregnant. Don't you dare lie to me and give me hope when there is none." The tears were falling harder and my sobs were uncontrollable. He walked around the desk and held the picture of the ultrasound in front of my face.

"What the fuck does that underlined sentence say?" I looked at the picture and knew what he was getting at, but I couldn't speak. My voice just wouldn't work.

"It says that on the date of this ultrasound, you were approximately six weeks pregnant. FUNNY, SINCE I HAD BEEN GONE SEVEN FUCKING WEEKS!" Les yelled right in my face. His eyes were dark and he was visibly shaking. His door burst open a second later and Ranger stepped inside with Tank behind him.

"Santos, enough, she doesn't need to get worked up." Les snapped his attention to his boss and cousin.

"I don't give a fuck about what she needs or doesn't need. Get her away from me." Les turned back toward his desk and ran his hands over his face. None of us moved from our places and we watched as Les growled and picked up his computer monitor off his desk and threw it against the wall. He then turned back around to look at me.

"Why? Why did you have to ruin the only fucking good thing that I had in my life? Did you ever really love me or was I just a good fuck? Was I just an 'in' to get a good job? Was I just a toy to play with until you found something better?" His words pierced my heart. He couldn't honestly think that about me, could he? Would I blame him if I did?

"I'm sorry..." My whispered apology wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Oh, I'm so glad that you're fucking sorry because I'm crushed. You single-handedly ruined my entire fucking life. So yeah...I would say that you're sorry. So, how about get your sorry ass out of my office and leave me the fuck alone." I let out a whimper when I felt Tank's hand on my shoulder. I turned to leave but was stopped by Les' broken voice.

"Were you just going to lie to me? Were you just going to pass that bastard kid off as mine? Would you have ever told me the truth?" Ranger walked over to where he was standing and whispered into his ear, but I couldn't hear what he said to him.

"I don't give a flying fuck about that baby. I don't care that I'm making its whore of a mother upset." Les pulled out of Ranger's grasp and turned toward me. He looked at me with hard eyes. "I don't give a fuck if I never see either of them again. Leave my ring and get the fuck out. I'm sure your 'friend' is waiting for you and his baby." When I didn't move, Les took two steps toward me and screamed in my face.

"I said GET THE FUCK OUT! I don't want you anymore." Ranger pulled him away and I finally did what I couldn't do earlier. I got my feet to move and I ran. I ran as fast and as far as an almost eight month pregnant lady could.

I ran down the stairs, needing to get away from Les and from everyone here. I ran into the garage and was just about to my SUV when two arms circled around me. I spun around and looked up into the face of Mark.

"Don't you fucking touch me. This baby is not yours and I will fucking prove it." I pulled out of his arms and turned back toward the SUV.

"Face it, Tigress. It's mine, Les doesn't want you. The whole floor heard him say that. I'm all you got. Give me your keys and I'll take you home. We've got some things to talk about." I saw red. I didn't want him anywhere near me.

"I will never admit that this baby is yours. We have nothing to talk about and you will stay the fuck away from me." He had the nerve to smirk at me and advance closer to where I was standing.

"We're going to talk, Steph, and you're going to realize that I'm the only man for you. The only man you love and the only man you want. If you don't. I can make sure that your baby never sees the light of day." His eyes sparked with madness and I finally saw how crazy he was. He was standing close to me with my back against the SUV. Les chose that moment to come into the garage. He took one look at our closeness and shook his head. I was scared of Mark because I knew he could hurt me and the baby, so I called out for help.

"Les, please help me. He's crazy and he threatened to kill the baby." Les glared at the two of us and Mark leaned down and placed his hand over my belly. I tried to push it away but it didn't work.

"He might be crazy, Stephanie, but so are you if you think I'm going to help you. Maybe he'll do us all a favor and kill you both." With that, Les jumped into his SUV and pulled out of the garage. He turned right onto Haywood and sped away from the office and away from me. His words rang in my head. He wanted me to die.

I thought about that little reed bent by the storm. I thought about how long I'd been bent trying to protect myself from the storm that raged around me. I was so tired of being bent. I was so tired of protecting myself. I was weak and I did what a weak reed would do when confronted with a hurricane. I broke. I felt the darkness surround me and instead of fighting it, I welcomed its embrace. Maybe inside the darkness, I would find peace.

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A/N - Writing Les so mean was extremely hard, but I felt he had the appropriate response to the information he'd been given. I tried to put myself in his shoes and wrote him accordingly. It sucks, but it's also real.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **not mine

Tally you all for the reviews! I know how hard the last chapter was to read so prepare yourself for this one. I promise it will get better soon!

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**Chapter 23**

**LPOV**

Driving away from the office, one thought screamed from my mind. Fuck my life! Fuck it all to hell! I wondered what the fuck did I do to deserve what happened. I mean, I'd done bad things. Things that would make normal people sick, but I did them to protect this country. I did them to keep people safe. I started to believe Stephanie when she told me what a good man I was, but if I was such a good man, then why did I get my heart ripped out of my chest? Why did she stomp on it with her boot and grind it into dust? Why did she do that?

The whole time that I was on that last mission, I thought about Stephanie. I dreamed of her every night and she is what kept me going when the mission got really hard. She was the reason that I fought to stay alive. She was the reason that I made it home. After learning what I did, I wished that I hadn't fought so hard. What was the point?

I had nothing left. I didn't have a home, that belonged to her. I didn't have a fiancé or even a girlfriend. I didn't even have a job because I refused to work with her. Before I left Haywood, I told Ranger to take his job and shove it. I figured that I needed to return the SUV since it belonged to the company. I decided what I needed to do. I needed to get my Mustang out of the whore's garage. NO way in hell was she driving my baby.

With that decision made, I pointed the SUV towards her house. I figured she was probably home, but I didn't have to talk to her. I just wanted my car and some clothes. She could have everything else. When I pulled up in the driveway, I didn't see any lights on and decided that maybe she went somewhere with Mark. Well, good for them!

When I stepped inside the house that I used to call home, I couldn't stop the tears that fell from my eyes. I had held them back at the office, but there was no stopping them once inside. I looked at the place in the living room where I had proposed to Stephanie and the spot where we danced. She had been busy while I was away and had hung up pictures of us around the rooms. I wondered why she bothered if she was sleeping with another man.

I walked up the stairs looking at the pictures of us together. They showed a happy couple, obviously in love. The last picture at the top of the stairs was a double frame. In the top slot was a picture of Stephanie and I and I had to pause to examine it. I didn't know when or where the picture was taken, but it was beautiful. It was a black and white close up of just our faces. We were turned to face each other and you could almost feel the love pouring out of our eyes. Her hand rested on my face and you could see the huge engagement ring on her finger.

The bottom slot of the frame held a 3D ultrasound picture of the baby. You could see its face and hands. It almost looked like it was sucking its thumb. I could tell just by looking at that picture that the kid was going to be adorable. Too bad it wasn't mine.

I tore the frame off the wall and carried it down the hallway with me. As I passed the first bedroom, something inside made me pause. I turned and entered the room and felt the tears fall again. It was painted in a soft green color with horizontal stripes on three of the walls. The stripes were just a shade or two darker than the original soft green. The wall with the crib was painted the solid light green, but it had a gorgeous tree painted on it as well. The branches stretched over the crib and on those branches held two fictional characters from my past.

When I was little my mom and I had a nightly routine. Brush my teeth, say my prayers and then she would read me a story. She read everything to me, but my favorite stories were about Frog and Toad. I used to love hearing about them and would often think of my own adventures for the pair to experience. I never told Stephanie, or anyone else for that matter, about that memory, so how did she know to use them in the nursery? And why did she bother? The kid wasn't mine.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I glanced around the room one last time before I left. It was everything that I ever wanted in a nursery for my child and it hurt too damn bad to look at it now knowing that I would never get to experience that. I wouldn't get to put my child to sleep in there or play with him or her on the floor. I wouldn't get to read my favorite stories to them either.

Leaving the nursery, I hurried into the master bedroom and didn't bother looking around. I didn't look at the bed or anything else. I changed out of my dirty fatigues and left them on the floor for Stephanie to deal with later. I grabbed some clothes from my closet and threw them in a bag. After taking one last look, I tossed the stupid picture frame onto bed and placed my house key on top of it. I no longer wanted it on my key chain. It held too many memories.

After I'd thrown some more things in my bag, I headed back down stairs and into the garage. There my baby sat, ready and waiting for me. She was the only girl I could trust. I opened the garage and tore out of there like my ass was on fire. I wanted to get the fuck away from the shit. I didn't want to be surrounded by the memories any longer. It was time for me to make some new memories and what better place to start than at a club. I needed a woman to escape reality with.

I wasn't dressed the best, but I didn't really care. I was a good-looking guy, so I knew I could find a woman pretty easily. After all, I was a player long before I met Stephanie Plum. A different girl every night. Fuck 'em and then leave 'em. They all understood what I wanted and none of them objected. I made sure I left them all thoroughly satisfied.

Parking in front of a local club that I used to frequent, I climbed out and fixed my clothes as best I could. I used to be a well-paying customer, and knew that they'd remember me. I was let right into the club, bypassing the line of people waiting, and stopped to do a scan of the area. My eyes locked onto my target right away and I set off to make my move.

The girl was beautiful. Short, blonde, big breasts, dumb as a box of rocks. She was the anti-Stephanie and she was perfect. She giggled as I flirted with her, and before I knew it we were grinding on each other on the dance floor. It had been a hell of a long time since I'd had sex with anything except my hand, so I knew I needed to slow down or it was going to be all over. She had her tongue down my throat and my hand on her ass as she pressed herself into me. I knew she could feel my hardness, but hell...I didn't care.

Her lusty voice whispered into my ear and sent chills down my spine. "Let's go to the alley." She turned away from me and led me towards the back door. I'd been out there before to do that very thing so, I wasn't too worried about people seeing. I preferred the privacy of a bedroom or a car, but the alley would work.

Once we got outside, I slammed her into the brick wall and ravaged her mouth. She gave as good as she got and I knew she was good to go for hard and fast. I shoved my fingers inside, prepping her for my assault. She moaned her approval into my mouth.

As she fumbled with my zipper, I yanked her skirt up and tore off her panties. She jumped and wrapped her legs around my waist as I pushed her back up against the wall again. Her hot core was willing and waiting right above my painful erection, but I couldn't make myself press into her. Something was stopping me. I wondered what the hell it was.

A picture of Stephanie flashed in my mind and my heart stopped. No, she was not going to ruin it for me. She fucked someone else and we were finished. I tried to convince myself that I wasn't cheating on her. I kissed, what's her name, again trying to find the courage to just push in. Once I was in, I knew I would be okay.

"What's wrong, Baby?" What's her name purred into my ear. "I need you. Please don't make me wait." She sucked my ear lobe into her mouth and tongued around my ear.

Another picture of Stephanie flashed in my mind, and I realized the willing and waiting woman in my arms wasn't what I wanted. She wasn't what my dick was craving and she wouldn't satisfy the hunger coursing through my veins. I sat her on the ground and tugged her skirt back to cover her ass.

I was still painfully hard, but I felt too disgusted with myself to finish what I started. She looked at me with a confused look on her face.

Shaking my head, I apologized to her. "I'm sorry. I can't do this." I tucked myself back into my jeans and walked away from her. She yelled something at me, but I refused to listen to what she actually said. I didn't really care. I walked out of the alley and right into an angry-looking Ranger and Tank.

"What the fuck do you two want?" I pushed past them, but was stopped when Tank grabbed my arm. He threw me up against the wall and got right into my face.

"I know you're hurting right now and I'm sorry about that, but you're not the only one. This..." He pointed toward the club. "...is not how you start to heal." My anger from earlier came back and I shoved Tank away from me. How dare he suggest that her pain is equal to mine! She's the cause of all of this.

"Fuck you! I don't give two shits how much Stephanie's hurting. She is the reason for all this pain, so why should I feel sorry for her?" Tank glared daggers at me and spoke in a low tone.

"You have no fucking idea what you're talking about. Stephanie was a victim just like you." Of course he would take her side. I figured she was probably fucking him too.

"She's a victim? That's the funniest thing I've heard all day. The picture sure didn't show her like a victim. What? Are you fucking her too? What do you get out of sticking up for her?" I didn't even see the punch that landed me on my ass, but I sure as hell felt it. Tank looked at me with murder in his eyes.

"If anything happens to her or that baby I will personally see that you are no longer able to walk or use that fucking dick of yours." Tank looked at Ranger and they had a silent conversation. With a nod from Ranger, Tank left. I heard the squeal of tires, so I knew that he was more than a little pissed at me.

"Are you going to take her side too or are you going to help me up? We can go find some women together like we used to." Ranger reached out his hand and helped me stand up but I could see the rage behind his eyes.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?" I looked at him confused.

"Yeah. I dumped my cheating, whore..." I didn't see his punch either.

"FUCK. Why did you do that? I'm your cousin and she's just a piece of snatch." He picked me up and shoved me against the wall again.

"She's more than that and you fucking know it. If you would get your pig head out of your ass, you might see some things differently." I raised an eyebrow at him hoping he would enlighten me. Lucky for me, he did.

"If you would have let her talk earlier today, you would have learned that she doesn't really know what happened that night. She only had two shots, hours apart from each other, and then woke up naked next to Mark. He claims she was drunk and came onto him. He claims she took off her ring and said she wanted him." My heart broke. Why was he rubbing my face in what happened?

"She doesn't trust him. None of the guys do. Tank and Bobby have tried to help her figure out what happened, but haven't been able to. Something's not right and you didn't even let her tell you about it." Ranger let me go and took a step away and continued talking. "If what they suspect actually happened, then she was probably drugged and raped. Was she awake in that picture? Did she look like a woman who was enjoying herself?" My mouth ran dry. I didn't want to remember the picture, but it flashed before my eyes. In the picture, she looked more than just asleep. She looked passed out.

"So, I should just trust that she's telling the truth and that she didn't intentionally sleep with him. Maybe he's telling the truth. Maybe she really does still love him and took her ring off to prove that she was moving on with him. Maybe this has all been a big game to her." I let out a long sigh and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Do you honestly believe that? You know her better than anyone. Is that the type of person she is?" I glared at him, but didn't have to think about the answer. No, that wasn't Stephanie, at all.

"Okay, so maybe she didn't mean to sleep with him. That doesn't give her the right to lie to me about the baby being mine." I stuck my chin out in defiance. There was no way he had an argument for that.

Ranger's voice was hard when he answered. "How do you know she wasn't going to tell you? You were too busy calling her a whore and telling her and her bastard child to get out of your office."

"She had plenty of time. I didn't think she was going to tell me." Ranger shook his head.

"According to Tank, she believes the baby is yours. She's never trusted the technician who did that first ultrasound. She's said from day one that you are that baby's father. " I rolled my eyes.

"Of course she would say that. She would say anything to keep me. She's terrified of being alone and she knows that no one else but me wants her." That statement got me another fist to the face.

"GODDAMNIT! Stop!" I wiped the blood off my lip and glared at the person who'd always been like a brother to me.

"She would never be alone because you're not the only man who loves her." His dark eyes stared right into mine and I saw that he was talking about himself. I almost laughed at that thought.

"Wait! The mighty Manoso has fallen for a woman? What happened to never falling in love or wasting time on relationships. You're a bigger manwhore than I am and you're telling me that you love my fiancé?" I asked in shocked disbelief.

"She's your ex-fiancé and maybe I have fallen for her. Maybe my life could use a little normalcy. Maybe she's just what I'm looking for and since you're done with her, then she's fair game. You can go back to your little skanks in the club and be miserable and I'll go take care of Stephanie and your baby." That did it. The beast inside me roared to life and I lunged at Ranger ready to kill. He was waiting for my attack and threw me back into the wall.

I lunged at him again, but was stopped by his arm crashing down on my throat as he pressed me into the wall.

"Man the fuck up and talk to your woman." His eyes were flashing murder, just like mine.

"She's off with Mark. I went to the house expecting to see her, but she wasn't there. I saw them in the garage together and it looked intimate." I struggled to move his arm. It was painfully cutting off my air supply.

"I know you saw them in the garage and I heard what you said to her. You're a real fucking asshole, do you know that? She's not with Mark and, in fact, she can't stand the guy." He took his arm off and I gasped to get air back into my lungs.

"If she's not with him, then where the hell is she? She's not at the house." I sounded all too cocky.

"She's in the fucking hospital." There went all that air from my lungs and I didn't even get punched.

"Why...what happened?" I stammered out the questions.

"You suddenly care now? What if I said that she and the baby died? Would that make you happy?" Tears formed in my eyes and I felt sick. Please don't let her or the baby be sick or injured. "You're fucking pathetic and you don't deserve her." Ranger shook his head. We were both silent for several minutes.

"After you wished them both dead, she collapsed and was rushed to the ER. Last I heard they were trying to stop her from going into labor. It's too early and if that happens then the baby might not live." I hung my head in shame. I didn't mean those things that I said to her. I was hurt and angry and acted like a child.

"What am I going to do, Carlos?" The whispered question sounded like it came from a broken man and maybe that's exactly what I was.

"You're going to do what needs to be done. She didn't deserve the treatment she got today. She didn't deserve to get called those names. She didn't deserve to have her heart broken." Ranger was talking quietly, but I heard his words.

"I heard your mom talking to my dad one day weeks before she died. I guess your parents were having an argument and she came to the house to get advice. His words always stuck with me, even all these years later." He looked at me and I saw the pain and compassion in his eyes.

"What did he say?" The question came out in a choked, strangled whisper.

"He said, 'When two people are meant for each other, no time is too long, no distance is too far, no one can ever tear them apart.' Those words are true. Your mom and dad were meant to be together, and so are you and Stephanie. It wasn't luck that led you into that diner, it was fate." He pulled me into a tight man hug as I let the tears fall. God, I felt like shit. I was pissed at Stephanie before, but after listening to Ranger, I was just pissed at myself.

"Do you still love her?" Ranger whispered into my ear and I just nodded. It was an easy question. I would always love her. "Can you forgive her?" That one took a little more thought. If she said that she didn't remember what happened, then I trusted her. I knew she'd never cheat on me because she knows what that feels like.

"There's nothing to forgive." He squeezed me tighter at my confession and I knew that he agreed with me.

"What if she won't take me back? I could apologize until I'm blue in the face and she still might turn me away. I said some really hateful things to her." Ranger slapped me on the back and then pulled away from the hug.

"She'll take you back because she loves you as much as you love her. Fight for that love and you will win. Remember, no one can ever tear you two apart." I nodded at his words. I knew what I needed to do.

"Can you drive me to the hospital?" Ranger chuckled and grabbed my keys off the ground. I didn't even know that I dropped them.

"You're letting me drive the Mustang? Hell yeah." He smiled at me as we walked to the car.

Once inside the vehicle, Ranger turned to me. "You need to decide what you're going to tell her about what happened here." Ranger looked at me knowingly and all I could do was hang my head ashamed.

"Nothing really happened. I found a girl, we kissed and then went out to the alley. I wanted to fuck her but I couldn't do it. I just kept picturing Stephanie and I felt like shit." Ranger let out a bark of laughter. I was so glad my misery was making him happy.

"The famous Santos left a woman unsatisfied? Wait till the guys hear this." I glared and him and that only made him laugh harder.

"I'm joking. Your secret is safe with me. However, you'll need to be honest with Steph. She deserves to know the truth." I nodded my head and just added that fuck up to the long list of things that I already needed to apologize for.

Ranger and I drove in silence to the hospital. My thoughts were on Stephanie and the baby. I would never forgive myself if something happened to either one of them. I said a silent prayer as Ranger parked the car in the ER parking lot. I looked and laughed when I saw the numerous black SUV's parked around us.

"I told you that you're not the only man who loves her. Every guy in that building was ready to hunt you down and kick your ass. You'll need to be careful." He got out of the car and I followed. "And you might want to stay away from Hector for a while. I had to order him to stand down from killing you." I looked at him with a curious expression

Hector was probably one of the scariest guys we had working with us. He was small but fierce. Ranger's silent response told me everything I needed to know. Apparently Hector had taken a liking to Stephanie and considered her and the baby under his protection. If there was one thing that I learned while working with him, it was that you didn't fuck with the people Hector likes. I knew I was in trouble.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

Sorry this took so long today to post. Life, once again, kicked me in the face. Thank you all so much for the reviews and fav/follows. They truly mean the world to me and I cherish them all.

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**Chapter 24**

**SPOV**

I believe it was Cinderella that taught me that a dream is a wish that your heart makes, when you're asleep. I can agree with that. My dreams after collapsing in the garage were filled with Les.

They all started out the same way, us together and happy. Sometimes the baby was there with us and sometimes I wasn't even pregnant. I dreamed that we got married in a big wedding in the Burg with all our friends and family surrounding us, and another one we decided on a private beach wedding with just two other people. In every dream, we were happy and still so much in love, but those dreams never stayed that way and all of them turned to nightmares that ended exactly the same way...with me alone.

In some of the nightmares, the baby died and Les left me to be with someone else. In others, Les died and I was left alone to raise our child. Either way, I lost the love of my life and the pain that I experienced during those sleeping hours was excruciating. Losing Les wasn't an option, because I couldn't survive without him. I wasn't willing to accept the fact that we were over. I had to fight for what I wanted but first I had to wake up. It was time for me to struggle out of the darkness, so that's what I did. I started to fight.

The first thing I became aware of when I woke up was the annoying beeping sound of a heart monitor. I knew that meant that I was in the hospital. I hated hospitals. They smelled and I usually left with orders to eat better or exercise more. Of course, I wanted to protect my baby, so I decided the hospital was probably mandatory that time. I needed to talk to someone to make sure the baby was okay, so I kept fighting to open my eyes.

Hearing the angry voices in my room made me pause in my fight. They were trying to whisper, but none of them were doing a great job. Tank sounded beyond pissed, and I heard Bobby tell someone to 'get the fuck out'. I didn't know who they'd kicked out of my room, but the angry voices stopped and the tension seemed to lower instantly. I wanted to see the men who had taken such good care of me. I needed to thank them, so I kept fighting.

After who knows how long of struggling, I finally got one eye opened a little, but the bright light in the room sent sharp pains to my head, so my eyelids slammed shut quickly. I wondered how I was going to open my eyes with it so freaking bright in the room. After much deliberation, I decided to give it one more shot. Lights be damned, I wanted my eyes open.

I finally opened both of my eyes and blinked several times, trying to adjust to the new stimuli. I had no idea how long I had been asleep, but that was something to find out at a later date. I looked around my room at the two men sitting with me.

Bobby sat in the chair at the foot of my bed reading my chart intently. He kept flipping pages and shaking his head. He didn't look happy with whatever he was reading, and he didn't notice my eyes open, so I turned to the body sitting beside me.

Tank sat, uncomfortably, in a chair two sizes too small for him, his head bent down resting in his massive hands. I didn't have to look at his face to see the exhaustion and worry. He was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I stretched my hand out to touch him, but couldn't quite reach. I wanted to let him know that I was okay, so I decided to use my voice.

"Tank." That single word came out more like a croak, but it got the attention of both men in the room.

"Steph!" Both men stood and each took a position on either side of me. They held matching expressions of relief mixed with concern and guilt, but I didn't understand what they had to feel guilty about.

"Water, please." Another croak. Bobby reached for my a little pink plastic cup and held the straw to my dry lips. I took a small sip and felt better as the cold water soothed my sore throat.

"Thanks." I looked down at the blanket covering me. I tried to focus on the patterns of the quilt instead of talking about what happened. Talking would mean I would have to think about the things that Les said to me.

"How do you feel, Steph? Any pain?" Bobby looked at my IV site and checked a few other machines. He always seemed to be on the job.

"My head hurts a little bit, but nothing else. Is the baby okay?" I hated thinking that I did something to hurt the little life inside of me.

"The baby is fine now. You're blood pressure was extremely high, and it caused you to go into premature labor. The doctors were able to stop the contractions and put you on medicine to get your blood pressure down." Bobby stroked my hair away from my face as he talked to me. My hands instinctively covered my swollen belly.

"God, this kid isn't even born yet and I'm already putting it in danger. What a great mom I'm going to be…." I felt disgusted with myself. I couldn't protect my baby while it was still in the womb, so what made me think that I was going to keep it safe once it was born?

"STOP!" Tank's voice was loud, but not angry. "I refuse to let you sit here and talk about yourself like that. You're going to be an amazing mom because you're an amazing woman. Have faith in yourself, Little Girl, just like we do." Tears formed in my eyes listening to Tank talk to me. For such a big guy, his voice could hold such tenderness when he wanted it too.

"Thanks, Tank," I turned away from him and looked back at Bobby. "How long have I been here?"

"You passed out seventy-three hours ago. Tank and I were watching the monitors and brought you here as soon as we saw you go down. You woke up briefly in the SUV on the drive over, but you were back out before we got to the hospital and you've been asleep ever since." I could tell he wasn't telling me something. He got nervous when he mentioned me waking up in the SUV.

"What happened when I woke up in the SUV?" His eyes snapped to mine and I heard Tank chuckle.

"Told you she would catch on. She's good. She knows when you're not telling her everything." I smiled at Tank and turned back to Bobby. He looked nervous again.

"I was sitting in the back with you when you woke up, Tank was driving." Bobby began but before he got further, the door opened and Ranger stepped into the room. He saw my eyes open and smiled at me.

"Hey Babe, how are you feeling?" He stood beside Bobby and looked me over with his eyes full of concern.

"I feel fine. Bobby was just filling me in on what happened in the SUV." Ranger gave Bobby a glare that would have made me pee myself if I didn't have a catheter in. I assumed that Ranger hadn't been informed of what happened either.

"As I was saying...I was in back with you and I felt you stir. I started talking to you to try to engage you, so you would wake up fully. You opened your eyes and looked at me. God, Steph, I've seen some bad things and I've helped people who have gone through hell, but the pain that I saw in your face just about broke me." I squeezed Bobby's hand to give him strength. I know how much pain I felt, so I can assume what he saw was bad.

"You said something to me, but I couldn't hear you, so I bent down and asked you to say it again. You whispered, 'If I don't have Les then I don't have a life. Just let me die.'" The room got quiet and the tears fell from my eyes this time. It was how I felt during all of those asinine dreams. When he left, in each dream, I would beg and plead for God to just kill me. I didn't want to live without him.

"Steph, I have to ask you this question because I'm a medic and I have a responsibility to keep you and the baby safe." Bobby guided my face up so that my eyes would look directly into his golden brown ones. "Are you going to harm yourself? Do you still want to die?"

I looked around to the three guys standing around my hospital bed. I had no plans to end my life. I didn't want to live without Les, but I knew that I had a baby to take care of. My life belonged to the little thing growing inside me. I would live for him or her.

"No Bobby, I know that I must have worried you when I said that, but all the pain was just so fresh. I know that I have a baby to take care of and even though its father doesn't want it, I sure as hell do." They all heard the determination in my voice and smiled at me. I couldn't believe that they were all here after what happened. "Why aren't you guys pissed off at me? I mean, you all were Les' friends first and I figured you would all be on his side." Tank growled when I mentioned Les' name. They each looked like they wanted to say something, but it was Ranger who was first to speak.

"We were Les' friends first, and we still are. There are no sides here, Stephanie. You are our friend as well and you need us here. There is no other place that I want to be. Les and I had a long talk a few days ago, right after you got brought to the hospital. He was here earlier, but it seems that your guard dogs ran him off." That solved the mystery of the angry voices. I looked at Tank and he had a look of pure rage on his face.

"Damn straight I ran him off! He's the reason she's here in the first place, and I refuse to let him cause her anymore pain." I patted his hand and smiled at him. He was a good guard dog, although the blame doesn't rest solely on Les.

"Thank you for protecting me Tank, but Les isn't entirely to blame. I have to take some of the fault and Mark didn't help with his comment in the garage." All three guys growled at the mention of Mark's name. I wondered if the garage camera picked up what happened?

"What happened to Mark?" I was praying that he wasn't dead or in a third world country. I was bound and determined to figure out what really happened that night at the house, and I needed him to tell me.

"He's back at RangeMan. He tried to come in the room, but didn't get very far. He's been ordered to stay away from you, Babe. He's going to be fired, but Tank wanted me to talk to you before I did anything." Ranger leaned down and brushed some hair off my face. "The camera picked up everything except the last thing that he whispered to you before Les entered. We can see that whatever it was that he said had you terrified, but we've tried and tried to filter out the audio and haven't been able to. Hector has spent the last 73 hours doing everything he can." As Ranger talked I thought about what Mark had said, just thinking back to that day caused the tears to fall again.

"Can you tell us what he said, Babe?" Ranger wiped a few tears off my face and stood waiting for my answer.

"He threatened the baby. He said if I didn't admit that he was the man who I wanted to be with then the baby would never see the light of day." I started to cry again and Tank sat on the bed beside me and gathered me into his arms.

"We will protect you and the little one, Steph. He won't hurt you." Tank whispered in my. Listening to his soothing voice calmed me and before I knew it, I was back asleep.

I woke up later and to a dark and empty room. I tried to find a clock to see the time, but couldn't see in the dark. I looked around and noticed that the chair that usually sits at the end of my bed was pushed back into the dark corner of the room. The man sitting in it was sound asleep, but the sight of him stopped my heart.

Les slept, shrouded in shadows, and I could barely make out his form in the darkness, but I didn't have to see him to know who it was. My soul always felt more complete when he was close. I felt whole when he was next to me. I prayed that he would stay close to me because I didn't want to go back to feeling incomplete again.

Deciding to let him sleep instead of waking him up to see why he was there; I relaxed back into my bed feeling better than I had in days. Something about seeing Les in my room gave me hope that we would eventually work stuff out. I fell back into a restful sleep and that time, my dreams of Les ended with us together.

I woke up the next morning and immediately turned my attention to the chair in the corner of my room. My heart broke again when I saw that it sat empty. I thought that maybe I had just dreamed that he was there, and maybe I was just kidding myself that we'd ever work things out. I felt the tears fall, as the door to my room opened. I didn't recognize the man who stepped inside, but since he was wearing a white lab coat, I figured he was my doctor. Bobby was two steps behind him, and I smiled when his eyes met mine. He caught the tear that fell and flicked it away.

"No tears, Steph. You're getting out of here." Bobby whispered into my ear and placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Ms. Plum, my name is Dr. Brown." I looked between him and Bobby for a second and giggled when the doctor rolled his eyes. "No relation."

"We think your condition has stabilized and we're willing to release you from the hospital if you're willing to follow a couple of orders." The doctor looked at me with a serious look and I knew he meant business. "You are to be on bed rest for the next two weeks. You can get up to go to the bathroom and downstairs to the living room. Other than that, you are to be off your feet. Understood?" I wondered how he knew that I lived in a two-story house, but didn't bother asking. I simply nodded my head in agreement.

"Good. You are to also allow Bobby to check your blood pressure daily. He has a range of where it needs to be and is aware of what to do if it's too high again. I believe he's going to be staying with you at your house, is that correct?" I had no idea, but Bobby nodded at me and smiled, so I just nodded back to the doctor. I felt better knowing that I wasn't going to be alone at the house.

"Excellent, that makes me feel better about you going home. Now, you need to keep the stress in your life to a minimum. I don't want you working or worrying about anything for the next two weeks. We'll reevaluate you after that time and see where to go from there." The doctor scribbled some notes in my chart and with a final look exited my room.

"You ready to blow this place, Steph?" Bobby looked too damn excited for his own good.

"Damn straight! Can I shower first or should I wait until I get home? There is a bench at the house that I can sit on while I get clean." Bobby was busy gathering up all of my belongings that were scattered all over the room. A nurse entered and started removing all the various tubes and cables.

"You can shower when you get home. Ella is waiting there to help you get settled." Bobby leaned close and whispered into my ear. "Unless you want me to help you shower here." I pushed him away with a laugh and felt my face flush.

"I think I'll wait for Ella's help. Thanks though, Bobby." He smiled at me again and continued collecting all my junk.

The nurse helped me change into comfortable clothes that Bobby brought with him and before I knew it, I was sitting in an SUV on the way to my house. The house looked the same as the day that I left it, but it also felt different. I glanced in the garage and noticed that Les' Mustang was missing. My heart felt heavy as I thought about what else of his would be missing from inside the house.

Bobby helped me out of the SUV and sent me upstairs to my bedroom. Ella was waiting for me in the room and gave me a giant hug when she saw me. Together, we got me showered, shaved and redressed into lounge pants and a T-shirt. She got me comfortable in the bed before excusing herself to get my lunch.

I sat and looked around the bedroom that held so many memories of Les. I didn't realize that I was crying until Ella and Bobby both came into the room and frantically asked what was wrong.

"I'm fine. I just see Les everywhere. It's just going to be hard for a while." Bobby sat beside me on the bed and wiped the tears from my face.

"I know it's hard, Steph. Do you want to move rooms? We can get you comfortable in one of the guest rooms." I shook my head. I wasn't going to run from the pain. I knew that wouldn't solve anything.

"No, I'll stay here. I need to face this instead of running from it." Bobby smiled at me and kissed my temple.

"I'm going to run to the office, but I'll be back for dinner. How does pizza from Shorty's sound?" My stomach answered his question with a loud growl and we all laughed. Bobby left and Ella sat a tray in front of me. The smell of the hot soup sent my stomach growling again.

After I finished my lunch, Ella cleaned up and left to go back to the office. She made sure to say goodbye, and I heard the front door lock click into place along with the alarm being set. I was thankful for her protection of me because I didn't want to have to worry about anyone breaking in.

As I looked around the room again, something caught my attention. I got out of bed and walked to the dresser to see what it was. Resting there was the picture frame from the hallway with the 3D ultrasound in it. I looked at the picture of Les and I. You could obviously see the love that flowed between us. I wondered if that love still existed. When I picked up the frame, a key that I hadn't noticed fell to the floor. I knew before even bending over to pick it up that it belonged to Les. It was his house key.

I sank to the floor in uncontrollable sobs clutching the frame to my chest. He had been here at some point and he'd left. He saw the picture and still walked away from us. I wondered how he could do that.

Running my finger over Les' face in the picture, I spoke in between sobs to the empty room. "I'm so sorry, Les. I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I never thought that I was good enough for you and I pray that you find someone who is. I hope you don't let what I did ruin your chances at happiness. I hope you'll find someone to love you again." I paused to wipe the tears from my face.

"I'll do everything in my power to take care of our baby. I know you don't want it, but it's all I have left. I'll be the best mom I can be for this baby, although I have no idea what I'm doing." I paused again to rub the 3D image of the child growing in me.

"Bobby said that it looks like a girl. I haven't found out officially what I'm having because I didn't want to find out without you. If it is a girl, I picked the name Cassandra Pilar in honor of your mother. You've told me such wonderful stories about her and I felt that we should honor her. If it's a boy...I'm still torn on a name. I was thinking Mateo Carlos, after you and Ranger since he's who you always looked up to. I just don't know if you would even want your name attached to this baby. Do I name it Plum or Santos?" More tears fell and I started to feel myself get worked up again. I had so many unanswered questions and thinking about them wasn't keeping me calm.

"God, look at me! Not even five hours out of the hospital and here I am a blubbering mess. I need to let you go, Les, because you've obviously let me go. You wouldn't even listen to me when I needed you. It's time for me to say goodbye to my dreams of our happily ever after. It's time for me to quit planning our honeymoon." I kissed the picture right over Les' face and sat it down on the floor. "Goodbye, Les." I started to stand, but found that it was a struggle in my pregnant state.

I was almost standing when I suddenly felt strong arms circle around me and pull me into a hard chest. I knew, before he spoke, who it was. I didn't expect him to be there and the six words he spoke gave me such hope for our future. "Don't give up on us, Beautiful."


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **Still not mine

Thank you all for the reviews! I'm glad that you all are happy to see our Les back. This chapter is full of mushy goodness and a little smut at the end. I hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter 25**

**LPOV**

"Don't give up on us, Beautiful." As I spoke those six words to her, I literally felt her fall apart in my arms. Her little body shook with sobs and my shirt got soaked from her tears. My heart broke again from the pain that I caused her. I continued to hold her as she cried, and tried to calm her down by running my hand up and down her back, soothingly.

She finally got herself calmed down a little bit and was able to lift her head to look into my eyes. My breath caught in my throat seeing the pain and fear behind her beautiful blue eyes. I placed a gentle kiss on her nose and then her lips, trying to let her know that everything was going to be okay.

"What are you doing here?" I barely heard the whispered question as she turned away from me and walked to the bed. I watched her climb in and bury herself under the covers. I didn't answer her right away because I wasn't sure on what to say exactly. She took my silence the wrong way.

"Just get the rest of your things and leave Les, please." Shit. Her voice broke and I knew she was crying again. I hated what I'd done to her. I walked to the bed and pulled the covers back and sat down beside her. My back was resting against the headboard and she was curled up with her back to me. I gently picked her up and pulled her into my lap. Once again, I wrapped my arms around her as she cried.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She choked the question out between sobs. "Please just leave, so that I can try to get my life back together." I held her tighter and finally found my voice.

"I'm not leaving you, Beautiful." My voice was rough and full of emotion. I cleared my throat and tried to talk again. "I think we need to have a conversation. Can you calm down enough to do that?" I felt her nod against my chest and then let her pull away so that she could reach a box of Kleenex. She wiped her eyes and nose and then climbed out of my lap. She sat beside me with her back against the headboard and rested her head against my shoulder. I heard her release a long sigh and knew that she was as composed as she was going to get. I knew that there would be fresh tears later.

"Are you ready to talk?" I felt her nod again and chuckled. "You realize that you have to use your voice for us to talk."

"Yes. I just wasn't sure if it was going to work right now." Her voice was gruff and I smiled and kissed her curls.

"Can you tell me what happened that night with Mark?" I figured I better just get right to the heart of the matter. No sense beating around the bush. I felt her sigh and listened as she told me the story of that night. My stomach turned when she talked about waking up the next morning with him in bed with her. I pushed through the feeling of puking and waited for her to explain everything that she could.

"I'm so sorry, Les. Tank warned me about letting him stay here, but I thought that he was a friend and that I could trust him. I don't remember anything that happened that night. I would never cheat on you. I love you so much and never wanted to hurt you." She started crying again and I pulled her back into my lap again. I wanted to look into her eyes as we talked. Her legs wrapped around my waist as I held her and since her stomach was bigger than before, it was pressed between us snugly. I felt something kick against my stomach and pulled back and looked down. Steph looked down too and laughed through her tears.

"I guess the baby was saying hi or maybe it was telling us that we were squashing it." I laughed and pressed my hand on the spot where the baby kicked. I felt it move again and my eyes filled with tears. At that moment, I didn't care if it was my baby or not. I loved Stephanie, so I would love her baby.

"Do you want to hear why I think this baby is yours?" I looked into her eyes and nodded my head.

"A few days before the incident with Mark, I was nauseous in the mornings. I never threw up, but it was enough for me to realize that something wasn't right. I thought I caught the flu. That's the reason that I didn't drink much that night. I didn't feel good, but kept it well hidden from the guys." She paused and wiped a few tears off her face.

"When I found out that I was pregnant, I did some math in my head and decided that I more than likely conceived the week before you left on your mission. When the ultrasound tech told me another conception date, I was so confused. Her date matched what Mark claimed and I KNOW that nothing happened. I can't explain my feelings, but something is wrong and I know that Mark is behind it." I kissed her gently on the lips. I trusted her instincts and knew that she was telling the truth about what happened. Stephanie couldn't lie; not to me at least.

"I believe you." At my words, her eyes filled with tears and she looked at me bewildered.

"What?" Her broken voice was so weak and full of doubt that it broke my heart all over again.

"I said that I believe you." I kissed her lips again and decided that it was time for me to start groveling. "I'm so sorry that I didn't let you tell me all this when I first got back. I'm sorry that I said such hurtful things to you. I'm sorry that I treated you so horribly. Can you ever forgive me, Stephanie?" I looked into her eyes. A small smile graced her gorgeous face and she threw herself into me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me into her.

"God, Les, can you ever forgive me? I deserved everything you said to me so you don't need to ap..." I refused to let her finish that sentence.

"Listen to me, you didn't deserve the way I treated you and I'm going to apologize to you every day until I think that I've earned your forgiveness. Even if what I thought happened was true, that didn't give me the right to say such hateful things to you. I was just so hurt that I let my mouth run without thinking." She held me tighter as I talked to her. "As for me forgiving you. There's nothing to forgive. I trust you that nothing happened between you and Mark. Hearing your story makes me want to kill the S.O.B." I pulled her away from my neck, so that I could see her face.

"I love you, Stephanie. I promised that I was going to come back and marry you and I intend to keep that promise, that is if you'll still marry me." She smiled her full smile at me.

"Damn straight you're going to marry me, but we're going to have to wait until after our baby is born." Our baby...I finally accepted at that moment that the baby was, in fact, mine. I bent my head down and placed a kiss on her swollen stomach. When I looked back into her eyes, they sparkled with tears. I gently kissed the tears away from her eyes then brushed my lips across hers.

"Can we lay down together? My back is bothering me and I want to be in your arms." She whispered her request, and I saw nothing wrong with granting it. We positioned ourselves on our sides facing each other, our arms wrapped around the other along with our legs, and our faces were a breath away.

"What do we do now Les?" The close proximity of our bodies and the quietness of the room meant that talking was not needed. Whispered words were loud enough for us to hear.

"Well, we still have some things to talk about. I need to tell you what I stupidly did a few nights ago, but I'm so scared that you won't forgive me. I'm so scared that this will be too much for you to overlook." She looked worried, but didn't pull away from me. I decided to just get this over with. She needed to know the truth.

"First, I want you to know that I never once stopped loving you. When I saw that you were pregnant, all of my dreams came true and I have never been happier. When I saw the pictures and realized that not only were my dreams not coming true, but they were getting stomped on and kicked out the window. I was so hurt and angry." I let out a deep sigh and pulled our bodies closer. Telling her what I'd done was going to be hard.

"When I saw you and Mark in the garage, I jumped to conclusions and thought it was intimate and it only infuriated me more. I felt sick with myself about what I said to you. I would have died if anything happened to you or the baby." She kissed a tear away from my face that I was unaware had even fallen.

"It's okay, Les." She kissed another tear away. I realized that she thought that was the worse thing I did that night. I hated that I had to tell her about the girl from the club.

"It's not okay, Steph. I left RangeMan hurt, confused, scared, and pissed off. Those aren't a good combination for me. I was still hopped up from the mission and I was horny as hell." She looked into my eyes and I saw as the understanding hit her.

"Who was she?" I lowered my head, ashamed, but she lifted it back up to look into my eyes again.

"No one. She was a stupid girl in a club. She was everything that you aren't. Short, blonde, surgically enhanced boobs, with no personality and no brains. She wasn't you and that was what I thought I wanted. We danced and then went to the back alley." I watched her closely as I spoke and my heart broke when her eyes filled with tears.

"Did you fuck her?" Her voice broke and I heard the pain from earlier come back.

I let out a sigh and wiped her tears away. "I came close. I was ready, she was ready, but then I realized that she wasn't what I **really** wanted. I wanted you, and it hurt to think that you didn't want me anymore. I stopped it before we ever started and left her standing, very unsatisfied and pissed off. I was so mad at you, but I was even angrier at myself. I'm so sorry, Stephanie." She rolled over away from me so I couldn't see her face, but I saw the tears trace down her cheeks and drop onto the bed. I knew what was coming.

"It's okay, Les. I know that everything that happened that day was just a big ole giant mess and I forgive you for everything." She rolled back over and placed her forehead against mine. I closed my eyes, praying that it wasn't a dream. "I'm sorry for the part that I played in making you so angry. I had every intention of telling you about Mark and the baby. I didn't know that he sent pictures." I quieted her with a tender kiss and stroked the hair away from her face.

I made sure to keep my voice whisper soft when I next spoke. "It's okay, my Love. Can you really look past everything that happened and forgive me, Steph?"

She didn't hesitate to answer at all. "Yes, because I love you and I always will. Does it hurt? Sure, but what does our song say? To miss the pain, I would have to miss the dance...and I refuse to miss this dance, Baby. Having your love makes everything that we've been through worth it." I never felt so relieved in my entire life. Hearing her words made my heart swell with love and pride for my woman.

"God, I love you so much." I kissed her lips gently again and rolled her onto her back. I made sure to position myself to the side of her so that I wasn't smashing the baby. The kiss intensified and turned from gentle to hungry in a second. I pulled away before we went to far. Bobby made me promise before seeing her that I wouldn't upset her too much. He also banned me from making love with her. I heard her groan when my lips left hers.

"As much as I would love to continue this, Beautiful; Bobby doesn't think you need to get that excited. He would kill me if I didn't follow his rules." She smiled at me before snuggling back into my embrace.

"Bobby's been like my protector since you've been gone. He, Tank, and Hector have done everything they can to make me comfortable and support me. I'm not sure if I would have survived without them." I smiled remembering the punch that Tank gave me. She must have worked herself into his heart as well as Bobby's.

"I'm glad that they were here for you. Tank was one that helped me get my head out of my ass." She traced her finger down the dark bruise on my cheek.

"Who else do I have to thank?" Her finger traced the bruise on my chin and I shuddered.

"Ranger." My voice was husky.

"Ranger? I figured he, of all people, would be on your side. He's your cousin and you guys have been like brothers for years." She sounded shocked and I had to chuckle.

"He told me a whole lot of things, but the one thing that stuck with me is something that his dad told my mom many years ago. He said that when two people are meant for each other, no time is too long, no distance is too far, and no one can ever tear them apart." Her eyes filled with tears again and I kissed them away before they fell. "Those words are true and we are meant for each other. I always thought it was luck that lead me to that diner the day I met you. Ranger was supposed to go, but something came up and he sent me. I thought I was lucky to be the one to meet you first, but he told me that luck had nothing to do with it. Fate brought me to that diner and fate brought you to me." I pulled her close to me and could see the exhaustion on her face. She was already weak and the emotional discussion didn't help.

"Sleep, Beautiful, I'll be here when you wake up and we'll talk more." I kissed her lips again and tucked her into my side.

"I love you, Les." I kissed her curls and whispered back to her. "I love you too." I felt her breathing even out and knew that she was sleeping. I let the relief and calmness wash over me and before long, I succumbed to sleep, too.

I woke up the next morning wrapped in heaven. I was curled around the love of my life and my hand was resting on her swollen belly. The baby was awake and active,too. It was kicking up a storm and I moved my hand around to feel it move. I heard Stephanie giggle and knew that she must have been awake the entire time.

"Good morning." Her voice was husky and she still sounded tired. "I need to go to the bathroom. This baby is killing my bladder." I laughed and let her go so she could stand up.

Watching her waddle to the bathroom, I had to smile. I knew we were going to be just fine. Everything that happened would just end up being a bump in our road of life. But, we wouldn't let it stop us because we would continue walking it together and be just fine.

I heard the shower start in the bathroom and a picture of what she was doing filled my mind. Thinking about a naked Stephanie in the shower woke up my sleeping giant, so I jumped off the bed and joined her in the shower...Bobby's rules be damned. It had been too damn long since I'd been intimate with my fiancé and it was time for us to get reacquainted. Stripping off my clothes, I stepped into the shower and took in the sight in front of me.

"Took you long enough, Sexy. I thought I was going to have to use the shower massager." Her eyes were dark with lust as she reached for me. Our lips met in a hungry frantic meeting of two starving people. I tried to be gentle, but she wasn't having it. Her teeth bit into my lip and down my jaw. Her nails scraped across my nipples and I let out a moan.

"Les, I know that you're worried about hurting me but please...just bend me over and fuck me. I need to feel you inside me again. I need this." She grabbed my throbbing erection as she said her last words. She guided me around so that she was in front of me. She bent forward and rested her hands on the bench seat along the back wall of the shower.

Her perfect ass was right where she wanted it and she shook it at me. I growled and bit one of her cheeks before inserting a finger into her. I wanted to make sure that she was ready for me. She was beyond ready, and I couldn't help the moan as I felt her silky walls around my cock as I slid home.

I paused a second to let her adjust and to gather some control. I didn't want to blow it so early. It had been too damn long and she felt better than I remembered. She had enough of the waiting because she began to move herself on me. I grabbed her hips and joined her rhythm. I tried to keep it slow and gentle, but her passion overcame mine and her bucking hips increased the speed before I knew what was happening. Her moans and panting only encouraged me more. I could feel her walls contracting around me and I knew that I was close.

"Come with me, Beautiful. Let me feel you come around me." I reached around and flicked her clit sending her over the edge. Hearing her scream my name and feeling her walls tighten around me sent me into my orgasm and we both flew apart together.

I pulled out of her, turned her around in my arms and kissed her senseless. She sighed when my lips left hers, and sat down on the bench. I laughed at her very satisfied expression on her face.

"Let's get cleaned up, Beautiful, and then I'll make you breakfast." Her stomach growled at that moment sending her into a fit of laughter.

"I think baby wants waffles this morning." She said between laughs. I smiled and helped her stand up into the running water.

"Then waffles it is. I not only have a Queen to satisfy, I have a Prince or Princess to spoil too." She smiled and kissed me again.

We spent the morning eating and enjoying each other more. I had no idea what the future held for us and I prayed that the worst of it was over, but I had a feeling that we would face some more challenges. I prayed that whatever happens later, that our love was strong enough to survive. Looking at the woman sitting beside me on the couch, I knew that I would do anything to keep her happy and with me. I would kill for her and I would die for her. I'm pretty sure most of the guys at RangeMan felt the same way. I just prayed that it never came to that.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: **Not mine and will return them shortly to JE

Thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm thrilled that so many of you are so involved in this story. We're through the angst for now and it's time to give Les and Steph some happy.

Fair warning...after my beta cleaned up this chapter, I went through and changed and added some things. Mistakes are all mine and since I updated this on my iPad, you can expect more than a few. Lol!

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**Chapter 26**

SPOV

For the next two weeks, Les and I stayed locked up in our house. Yes, OUR house. He begged me to give him back the key that he so stupidly left for me to find, and I did without much hesitation. Les brought back his clothes that he packed that night, and he took the two weeks off work so that he could stay with me. We spent everyday together and Les was instrumental in keeping me calm and very happy.

Bobby came by everyday to check on me. He had originally arranged to stay with me at the house, but backed off when Les moved back in. He lectured us everyday about making sure I was calm and relaxed. I argued with him that Les' 'attention' was the perfect relaxant, but Bobby just glared. He didn't agree that Les' very thorough attention was good for me or the baby. Although, my blood pressure did stay normal that entire two weeks, so he couldn't complain too much.

My followup appointment with the doctor went perfect. He took me off complete bed rest and told me to just take it easy until the delivery. I could go back to work as long as I kept calm and didn't try to do too much. Since all I did was client meetings, I wasn't too worried about overworking myself. They weren't stressful at all.

Les returned to work the same day I did. He locked himself in his office his first day back to RangeMan to catch up on paperwork. I had meetings lined up all day offsite, so I grabbed Bobby and we headed out. I signed the three clients that I had meetings with, and Bobby and I returned to RangeMan to share the good news with the rest of the team.

When we pulled into the garage and parked, another RangeMan SUV followed us in and parked beside us. I climbed out of the SUV and met Bobby at the elevator. Whoever was in the other vehicle didn't get out right away, so I didn't think much about it. Bobby and I stepped into the elevator and I turned around laughing about something Bobby said when Mark's face appeared in the crack of the closing door.

His glare sent shivers down my spine. His normal smiling face was hard and his eyes were lifeless. Mark still scared me, but he'd been ordered to stay away from me if he wanted to keep his job. The core team still wanted to fire him, but I needed to keep him close until I figured everything out. You know, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I was doing just that.

The elevator opened on the fifth floor and I got swept away by a bunch of muscled men in black. I hadn't seen most of the guys that morning because they were all in a meeting with Ranger when Les and I got to the office, and Bobby and I left before it was over. I got several hugs and a crap ton of 'welcome backs' as I made my way around the floor. I loved my bunch of Merry Men.

Les' office door was still closed, so Bobby and I headed toward Ranger's. He and Tank were inside deep in discussion about something, but both smiled when we walked in.

"Good news." I smiled brightly back at my bosses and handed them three signed contracts. They read through the paperwork and both smiled at me again.

"Good job, Little Girl. I'm amazed that you got all three of these signed today. You just made RangeMan 4 million dollars." Tank hugged me and kissed my ridiculous curls.

"It was nothing. Every one of those clients practically begged me to let them sign. They've heard good things about the company, I didn't have much to do with it." I tried to diminish my role, but no one was having it.

"No, Babe. You have everything to do with it. Our new client numbers are up fifteen percent since you started handling the meetings. Our current clients have never been happier, and they are resigning their contracts left and right. RangeMan has a good reputation, but you're the icing on the cake. You do things that Les and Bobby could never do. I'm proud of you, Babe." Ranger pulled me into a hug and wiped a stray tear from my face. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

"Thank you for saying that. I really enjoy what I do. I'm glad that I'm making such a difference in the company." The guys all smiled at me again and I excused myself to find Les. I wanted to share my good news with him.

I knocked on his office door and didn't hear any movement behind it, so I tried the knob but found it locked. I knocked again and waited until Les opened it. He looked tired and frustrated. I walked into his office closing and locking the door behind me. Sitting on his desk in front of him, I ran my fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp. "Everything okay?"

He enjoyed my fingers rubbing his head for a few minutes before sighing and looking up at me. "Yeah. Just trying to get through all this crap. Most of this is forms for the government since I'm not re-signing my contract. They want me to fill out all this shit and jump through their hoops." I could see the frustration on his handsome face, so I tried to rub the tension lines away and he relaxed for a second, but tensed back up when his phone rang.

"Yo...yeah...Not going to happen...I'm swamped in paperwork...There's no one else?...okay...I'll suit up and be down in 10." He hung up and let out a long sigh.

"Guess that's my cue to let you get ready." I hopped off Les' desk but didn't get very far. He pulled me down into his lap and kissed me passionately before pulling away and resting his forehead against mine.

"I gotta go help with this takedown. Ranger needs me to be on the inside with him." I nodded and kissed him again.

"What time will you be home?" I knew takedowns had the potential to run late, but still wanted to know what time to expect him back.

"Not sure. It will probably be late. Don't wait up for me." He kissed me again and stood me up off his lap. I watched him walk to the small closet that he had in his office. He strapped on his bulletproof vest and numerous guns. He hid his three knifes in the various places on his body and clipped on his utility belt and attached the radio. God he never looked sexier than when he was decked out in urban commando gear.

"I know that look, and you need to put it away until later. I have to be in the garage in four minutes. That's not enough time, Beautiful." His eyes were sparkling and his voice was full of mischief. I could have him if I wanted to, but I didn't want to make him late. I simply walked over and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Be safe." He smiled and kissed me back and walked toward the door.

"I'll be safe. I want to know what dirty thoughts were going through your mind just now. I expect you to tell me when I get home later. I'll wake you up." I smiled and blew him a kiss as he walked through the office door toward the stairwell. I glanced around the quiet office and sighed. The papers on his desk were scattered and about to fall off, so I moved over to adjust them back into a somewhat organized pile. A colored picture caught my attention, so I pulled it out from under a stack of forms.

It was the picture that Mark sent him. I glared at the snapshot obviously taken with a cell phone and printed from a machine at Wal-Mart. Looking at it made me sick, but my instincts were screaming at me. Something in the picture didn't add up, but I wasn't seeing what it was. I sat down on the couch looking at the photo trying to wrap my brain about what I was seeing. Finally, it hit me.

Mark claimed that I took off my engagement ring and told him that I loved him, but in the picture you can clearly see the sparkle of my diamond still on my finger. Anger, like I'd never felt, consumed me and I knew what I had to do. I had to confront the lying asshole.

Storming out of Les' office, I looked around the control room for Mark, but I didn't see him at his cubicle or by the monitors. I walked toward Cal who was watching the live feeds. I knew he could tell me where the ass was.

"Hey Cal, I need your help." He turned and smiled at me, and I swear the tattoo on his forehead smiled, too.

"Whatcha need, Angel?" All of the guys were so willing to do whatever I asked. Scary.

"I need a location on the DB." 'DB' was code for douche bag. The guys started calling Mark that months before. No one besides Tank and Bobby knew exactly what happened between Mark and I in the beginning. They knew something went down and they all knew that it was bad enough for me to feel uncomfortable around him so they dubbed him DB. I just went with it.

It wasn't until Les' return that the whole truth came out and I was more than surprised how the guys rallied around me. I was so scared that they would look at me differently, but that wasn't the case. Instead, they became even more protective of me.

"Looks like he's in the gym. Why?" Cal looked at me cautiously.

"I need to talk to him and it needs to happen now." I stood to head toward the gym, but Cal's hand on my arm stopped my forward progress.

"Take someone with you, please. I don't trust him not to hurt you." The concern he had for me brought tears to my eyes and I couldn't find the words to use. I just nodded my head and decided to find Hector. I knew he could watch out for my safety and keep his distance, so I could talk to Mark one on one.

I headed to the second floor where Hector's office was and talked to him about what I wanted to do. He agreed to go to the gym with me and give me space to talk to Mark. My heart was beating and my nerves were going crazy with each step we took. I guess Hector felt my trepidations because he silently grabbed my hand and squeezed it in a show of support. I smiled, wanly, at him in thanks and opened the gym door.

Mark was lifting weights with his partner Rabbit spotting for him. Neither of them noticed Hector and I as we approached them. Hector faded into the shadows and I walked right up to the two men.

"I need to talk to Mark, would you mind leaving us alone Rabbit?" The young kid looked nervously to Mark and then back to me. Mark moved his head toward the gym door. Rabbit took one last look at me and headed out of the gym. Mark and I were alone, or so he thought.

"Did you finally come to your senses?" Mark sneered at me and I couldn't help my eyes narrowing at him.

"You might could say that, but not how you're thinking." I handed him the picture and watched a sick smile spread across his face.

"That was a good night. I wanted a memory. You look well satisfied." My lip turned up involuntarily in a sneer.

"I look passed out, but that's not what I have a problem with. Do you see something else wrong in this picture?" Mark raised an eyebrow and looked at me. He studied the picture for a second and then shrugged.

"See the problem with lies is that you have to remember them. It's hard to keep lies straight in your mind because your brain is constantly fighting with what really happened. See, you said that I came on to you. You said that I approached you and took off my engagement ring and told you that I wanted you, not Les. Right?" I paused and watched the thoughts run through his mind.

"See, you're having to go back and try to remember the lie that you told me." His face turned hard and cold and he glared at me.

"I didn't lie. It really happened that way. You're just scared to admit it." I smiled at him because I knew I had him.

"So, you're saying it happened just like I said?" He nodded and stood from the weight bench.

"Then tell me why my engagement ring is still on my finger in that picture." He glanced down at the photo and his eyes focused on the sparkle on my left hand. I saw his jaw tense and the photo crinkle as his grip tightened around it.

"That's what I thought. Thank you for proving that you're nothing but a liar. Nothing happened that night. You drugged me and staged this whole fucking thing. My question is why? Why would you do that to me?" I was beyond pissed and my voice rose as I talked to him so that by the end of my thought, I was screaming at him. He sneered at me again and took a step so that he was right in my face. His voice was low, so it wouldn't be picked up on the cameras. He was smart, but I was smarter. I had Hector outfit me with a mic and set it up to record the whole conversation.

"I did it because you are mine. Always have been and always will be. I know that you and Les are just a passing fling and you'll come to your senses eventually and come crawling back to me. I tried to hurry the process along, but it backfired on me." He grabbed me by the upper arms and I gently shook my head to tell Hector not to interfere. I needed more information out of him.

"What did you give me that night?" His grip tightened on my arms and I felt the anger boil inside him.

"Ketamine, GHB, and Rohypnol. Typical date rape drug cocktail. You were like putty in my hands after you took that last shot." He leaned forward and took a deep breath.

"You tasted good too, just like I remember." My stomach rolled thinking about what he did to me while I was passed out.

"Did you..." I swallowed, unable to ask the question, but he knew what I wanted to know.

"Nope. I like my women a bit more responsive than what you were. I did get a taste and do a little exploring. I wanted to get...reacquainted with your gorgeous body." He squeezed my arms harder and I let out a whimper.

"What about the ultrasound? How did you work that?" He smiled big and let up the grip on my arms.

"That was easy. The technician was an old girlfriend and I told her to change the date to what I wanted. I told her that you were trying to trap me into a relationship, but I really wanted her. She fell for it, of course, and the rest was easy. She even convinced your doc that his measurements were off. He about blew my whole plan apart." Mark looked thoughtful for a minute and then shook his head as he smirked at me again. "She's been a welcomed distraction in my bed while I wait for you, but I'm tired of waiting." He brought his mouth to my ear and licked the lobe. "Now, are you ready to be a good Tigress and come home to me?" He pulled away and the look in his eyes was cold, hard, and lifeless. I knew then that he was fucking crazy.

"Never!" His grip tightened again causing me to cry out in pain.

"Then I'll make sure that your baby dies before it takes its first breath. Don't test me on this, Steph. There are drugs that will take care of it or I could just shoot you in the stomach. Either way, the brat dies...Les blames you...you come to me. I will have you one way or the other." Tears were rolling down my face as I struggled in his grasp to protect my unborn baby. He laughed when realized what I was doing.

"Protect it all you want. Come home with me or it dies." I was scared for my baby and knew that I needed to get away from Mark before he did something to hurt me. I glanced to where I knew Hector was standing and nodded my head, telling him that it was time to play.

I didn't even see the punch that knocked Mark out. One second he was gripping my arms and the next minute he was out cold on the floor bleeding. Hector caught me before I went down with him, and I felt his strong arms circle around me as I melted into his embrace. I heard a commotion at the gym door and looked to see Les, Bobby, Tank and Ranger all come running in. I didn't expect them back so soon, so someone must have called them back from the takedown.

Les pulled me out of Hector's arms and into his own when he reached us. "Baby, look at me. Are you okay?" I looked at him trembling and nodded my head. I felt a blood pressure cuff tighten around my arm and glanced into the worried face of Bobby.

"Your BP is a little high, Steph. You need to calm down. Les, take her to the bench and sit with her. Do what you can to calm her down." Bobby's voice sounded frantic, so I allowed Les to guide me to the bench. He sat behind me and rubbed my shoulders as he whispered into my ear. I focused on the cadence of his deep voice and before I knew it, I was asleep.

I woke up on the couch in Ranger's office. He was behind his desk working, but when he saw my eyes open, he got up and squatted in front of me.

"How are you feeling, Babe?" He brushed some curls off of my face and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"I feel fine. Where is Les?" Not that Ranger wasn't nice to look at, but I wanted my fiancé. Ranger let out a deep breath and sat in one of the guest chairs across from the couch.

"He's down talking to Mark. We have him in a holding cell. Hector let us listen to the tape that you made. I must admit, that was some pretty good work. You got him to tell you everything." He smiled at me.

"I got lucky because he got cocky. He thought his voice wouldn't get picked up by the cameras in the gym." I shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

"You did good." He looked at me seriously again. "What would you like done with him?" I wanted him castrated and sent to prison, but I doubt that could happen.

"I just want him gone. Can he go work in another office or something?" Ranger smiled at me and shook his head.

"He no longer works for this company. I can't have a rapist working for me. I understand that you want him away from you, but do you want him to disappear..." He let the sentence hang that way. What was he saying? Disappear, as in permanently?

"I don't want anyone getting into trouble because they took care of my problem. Maybe you could just send him to Nigeria. I doubt he would survive there." I was only joking and I thought Ranger understood that when I heard him laugh.

"I never thought of sending him to a third world country. That's a perfect idea, but let's send him to Somalia. There's no way he'll make it out of there alive." Ranger stood up and patted my knee and then returned to his desk. He had a conversation on the phone with someone while I laid on the couch shocked. He wouldn't really send Mark to Somalia, would he?

Les walked into the office a few minutes later. He looked angry and his hands were bruised with open wounds oozing blood. I knew if his hands looked that bad, then Mark must look horrible.

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't here when you woke up, Baby. I was taking care of a problem." I rolled my eyes and smiled at him.

"How does that problem look?" I pointed to his hands so that he understood that I knew and I was okay with it. He returned my smile and placed a kiss on my lips.

"He looks unrecognizable." He bent to kiss me again, but the clearing of a throat interrupted us.

"You have your own office, Santos. Take your woman in there if you want to suck her face." We could both hear the teasing behind Ranger's words and it made us chuckle. Les wiggled his eyebrows at me before turning back to Ranger.

"Is everything set for the transport?" Ranger chuckled and I didn't see his head movement, but I assumed he nodded because Les smiled at him.

"Then I'm taking my woman home where I can suck on more than just her face." I laughed when I heard Ranger groan.

"You better let her rest. I don't want to get a call that your horny ass made her go into premature labor." Bobby spoke from the open doorway. I blushed thinking about how horny I felt and just what Les and I had planned for later.

"Yes, Dad! I'll keep her nice and relaxed." Les helped me sit up first and then we stood together. He pulled me into a hungry kiss complete with wandering hands and moans from both of us.

"Santos, not in my office! Go home!" Ranger was laughing again, but his voice was firm. Les pulled away and grabbed my hand.

"See you guys tomorrow." He looked back at me blushing and got a gleam in his eye. "Or maybe the next day." We walked down the hallway and heard the laughter coming from the office. Whatever Les had in store for me, I was more than ready.

We hopped into Les' Mustang and headed toward the house. On the way there, Les kept glancing at me. I knew he wanted to ask me something.

"What's on your mind, Sexy?" I placed my hand on his upper thigh and gave it a squeeze. He picked it up and kissed my palm then replaced it back on his leg.

"Why did you confront Mark?" I wondered if he was mad that I put myself and the baby in danger.

"I had to know the truth of what happened. I wanted to clear my name once and for all. I wanted you to be able to know the truth so that you would trust me again." He started to argue, but I silenced him by holding up my hand. "Listen, I know that you trust me and I know that you believed me when I said that nothing happened; but the doubt and the fears were still there. I could see them sometimes and I hated that you doubted me. I hated that I made you second guess my love, so I had to prove to myself and to you what I knew all along. Nothing happened." I looked at him trying to gauge his reaction.

"Thank you. Although, I didn't like that you put yourself in harm's way; I appreciate that you wanted to do it for me. I will always love you Steph and I don't doubt your love for me. But you were right. There were lingering doubts and I hated that, too. Thank you for getting rid of those for me." He kissed my hand again and we drove the rest of the way home in silence.

Les parked the car in the garage and sat in the seat after he turned it off. I stayed in the car with him waiting to see what he wanted to do.

After several silent minutes, Les turned and looked at me with a hopeful expression. "Let's get married this weekend Steph. I don't want to wait until the baby is born. Let's just have a small ceremony here or at the beach. Anywhere you want, but let's do it. I want to make you my wife." I was shocked at first, but decided to give it some serious thought. I came up with numerous reasons why getting married right then wouldn't work, but as I sat there and looked at the man I loved, all of those reasons disappeared and I knew what I wanted to do.

"Okay. Let's do it. Just you, me, and some of the guys. A justice of the peace at the courthouse is perfect for me." Les smiled and pulled me into a hug. He kissed my lips hungrily and by the time he pulled away, we were both breathing heavy.

"We've got a lot to plan out then, Beautiful. We need to get started...however..." He kissed my hand and sucked each finger into his hot mouth. "...tonight is just about us and I'm going to make sure you feel fully loved."

That statement alone ruined my panties and it was just the beginning. Les and I spent the entire night showing each other just how much we mean to the other one. I can't remember how many times I screamed Les' name or how much sleep we got that night, but it doesn't matter. All I can say is how loved and truly treasured I felt the entire night. It was a feeling that I prayed never went away.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: **Same as before

Sorry this is late today. I forgot it was Monday and didn't realize it until I was away from my computer eating Chinese food. But I rushed home and got it ready to go. Hope you all enjoy.

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**Chapter 27**

**SPOV**

The next three days we spent planning our wedding. I didn't want anything big, but Les wanted more than just the courthouse, so we compromised on a small ceremony at the house. It was nice enough weather outside to hold the majority of the celebration by the pool. The guys helped drag tables and chairs from RangeMan and Ella volunteered to cook the food. I put my mother in charge of the wedding cake since I knew she liked to bake, and I trusted her to make it something that I liked.

Les invited Ranger's parents and siblings since they were the closest thing he had to a family. He didn't know it, but I had already met them while he and Ranger were on the mission. Maria, Ranger's mother, was the one who informed me of Les' favorite childhood book. When I found pictures of Frog and Toad, I knew that I had to use them in the nursery.

I quickly found my wedding dress at a local boutique. It was a Grecian style wrap dress in off white. Since this was my second marriage and I was already pregnant, I decided that regular white wasn't very appropriate. The dress was gorgeous and fit my rounded belly perfectly. I also bought a pair of flat sandals with satin ribbons that wrapped up my legs. I felt gorgeous in the whole outfit and couldn't wait for Les to see me.

The night before the wedding, Les stayed at RangeMan. We wanted to be as traditional as possible, plus the guys wanted to throw him a stag party. I heard the words strip and club mentioned, but put a stop to that idea fast. They settled for drinking and a poker game in Ranger's apartment. I didn't really care as long as he was standing at that alter the next day.

I have never really had many girlfriends. My best friend from school, Mary Lou, was married with three boys and lived a normal life. We talked, but we weren't close anymore, so I didn't have any girls to go out with. Connie offered to take me out, but I declined since I couldn't drink anyway. I spent the night before my wedding pampering myself in a relaxing bubble bath. I did a personal wax and was just about to attempt painting my toes when my doorbell rang. Outside stood Hector with Pinos sandwiches and a bag full of movies. He told me that he didn't want me spending my last night as a single woman alone, so he and I spent the evening laughing and watching stupid silly romantic comedies. He even painted my toenails for me, although he threatened to kill me if I told anyone.

That night, I fell asleep with my head in Hector's lap as we watched 'The Wedding Planner'. I'd seen the movie over a hundred times, so I knew J Lo got the good doctor in the end. Plus, Hector's magic fingers rubbing my scalp relaxed me beyond belief and I don't remember much after watching the leading couple super glue the penis back onto the statue. Falling asleep, I wondered if that would actually work.

My wedding day dawned early the next day, and I was rudely woken up by loud voices in my house. I knew people would be there early to get stuff set up, but I thought they would at least let me sleep in a bit. Figuring that my sleep was over, I rolled out of bed and headed downstairs to get breakfast.

Ella was waiting for me with a platter of Belgian waffles, bacon and eggs, and fresh squeezed orange juice. I was in breakfast heaven as I sat and enjoyed my meal. After I ate all that I could, I decided to head out to the back yard to see the progress and the transformation amazed me.

The patio had been freshly scrubbed and was covered with about forty chairs all pointed towards a beautiful gazebo that I had no idea where it had come from. The aisle between the chairs had a white satin runner trimmed with black velvet on each side. Groups of four Calla Lilies were bound together with black velvet bows and were tied to the chairs that lined the aisle. The pool held hundreds of floating tea lights that would sparkle during the evening celebration.

Looking around, I realized that the planners had everything under control, so I walked back into the kitchen to see if Ella needed help. She, however, guaranteed me that she was doing just fine and she dismissed me up to my room to get ready. I still had about four hours until the ceremony, so I decided a little nap was in order. After all, I would need my energy for my wedding night!

A light knocking woke me from my nap hours later and I beckoned whoever was at the door to come in. My mother and Maria Manoso both came into my room smiling. Maria held a tray of fruit and vegetables for a light lunch. After I ate, the older women shooed me into the shower, so that they could start my hair and makeup. Once I climbed out and got myself dry, I put on one of Les' button up shirts and sat in front of the mirror, and the older women got to work.

Maria worked on my makeup while my mother focused her energy on my hair. Sticking with the Grecian theme, she got my unruly curls to relax into beautiful soft waves. She pinned the sides up behind my ears and let the rest fall down my back. She completed the look with a single white flower pinned perfectly in place and once Maria got my makeup finished, I got a good look at the results. I was impressed. Those two women could be professionals if they wanted.

I excused myself to the dressing room to slip on my barely there white lace thong and strapless bra. Les was going to have fun taking those off of me later. I slipped my dress on and tied my sandals into place. My mother cried when I stepped out of the dressing room and Maria discretely wiped a tear from her face. I stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself. I looked just like a Roman Goddess...a very pregnant Roman Goddess, but oh well. I felt sexy as sin and that was all that mattered.

Another knock at the door interrupted my self admiration and Hector stepped into my room. He smiled big at me and kissed my cheek. I'd asked Hector the night before to be my man of honor. Next to Les, he was my best friend. We'd become close when we worked together and he became my own personal protector. While Les was on the mission, Hector was there for me. He was a little embarrassed to stand up next to me, but readily agreed when I told him that he wouldn't have to wear pink or purple. Instead, he dressed in a black Armani suit with a crisp white shirt under the jacket. The black bow tie perfectly in place and pinned to his lapel was a small white Calla Lily. They had always been my favorite flower so I picked them as my flower that day.

"¿Estás listo para ir, preciosa?" He always spoke to me in Spanish even though he could speak English. He and I were still working on perfecting my Spanish-speaking abilities. I had gotten better, but I wasn't fluent yet.

"Sí, mi amigo. I'm ready to marry the man of my dreams." He smiled at me again and handed me my bouquet of Calla Lilies wrapped in a black satin ribbon. The mothers excused themselves to get into place and left Hector and I in my bedroom.

Hector was filling me in on the state of the guys after their poker night when the baby decided it wanted some attention. I felt the kick and it startled me, so I made a slight noise. Hector, thinking something was wrong, was immediately on alert and sent a 911 page to Bobby who came bursting through the door with Tank and Ranger in tow. I could hear an angry Les cursing at whoever was holding him back. Looking at the big scary men with terrified looks on their faces made me laugh. I laughed so hard that I almost peed myself.

When I finally got calmed down and assured the guys that everything was fine, they all walked back downstairs to calm my frantic soon-to-be husband. I made one more bathroom stop before taking Hector's hand and walking down the stairs. My father was waiting for me at the door to the patio and Hector left me in his capable hands to take his place up front. He refused to walk down the aisle, which was fine with me.

"You look beautiful, Stephanie." My dad kissed my cheek and I threaded my arm through his. "Are you ready to do this?"

"I've been ready to do this since I met him." I smiled and kissed my dad's cheek. When the bridal march started, my dad led me through the doors to where everyone was sitting.

The second that my eyes locked onto Lester's, everything else faded away. I didn't see the people who I passed, I didn't see the justice of the peace standing in the front. My eyes were intently focused on my husband. He was smiling his full smile that always took my breath away. He, too, wore a black Armani suit with a crisp white shirt. His black bow tie was perfectly in place too and I briefly wondered who in the group knew how to tie those damn things. He looked beyond yummy and he was all mine.

My father placed my hand into Les' and kissed my cheek once more before taking his seat in the audience. Les leaned forward and kissed my lips when I turned to face him. I heard the crowd chuckling and the JP clearing his throat.

"Wait until I get to that part." Les pulled away and winked at me. We both turned to face the person in charge of marrying us and listened as he spoke. I can't really tell you what all he said, it wasn't that important to me. I do remember the vows that Les and I shared with each other.

"The couple has requested they be allowed to speak their own vows to one another. Les, take Stephanie's hand in yours and speak from your heart." Les took both of my hands and did just what the JP told him to.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum...In your eyes, I have found my home. In your heart, I have found my love. In your soul, I have found my mate. With you, I am whole, full, alive. You make me laugh. You let me cry. You are my breath, my every heartbeat. **I am yours, you are mine. Of this we are certain. You are lodged in my heart. The small key is lost. You must stay there forever.**" He paused to wipe tear from my face and to kiss my hands before he continued.

"I promise to be your lover, companion, and friend...your partner in parenthood, your ally in conflict, your greatest fan and your toughest adversary. I promise to be your comrade in adventure, your student and your Maestro, your consolation in disappointment and your accomplice in mischief. This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things."

It took me a second to gather my thoughts after hearing Les speak his vows to me. I took a couple deep breaths and then looked into his gorgeous green eyes.

"Lester Mateo Santos...You are my inspiration and my soul's fire. You are the magic of my days. You help me laugh, you teach me love. You provide a safe place for me, unlike I've ever known. You free me to sing my own song. You are more of an amazement to me, each day I rediscover you. You are my greatest blessing. **I am yours, you are mine. Of this we are certain. You are lodged in my heart. The small key is lost. You must stay there forever_._**" It was my turn to flick off the tear from Les' cheek. He smiled and gave me strength to continue.

"You are my lover and my teacher...my model and my accomplice and you are my true counterpart. I will love you, hold you and honor you. I will respect you, encourage you and cherish you. In health and sickness. Through sorrow and success. For all the days of my life."

"Now that you both have pledged your everlasting love to one another, do you have the rings to symbolize this union?" The JP got right back into the swing of things. Les turned to Ranger and I turned to Hector. We both met back up facing each other.

Les took my left hand in his and spoke to me as he slid the ring on my finger.

"Stephanie, my Beautiful...I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you will forever be surrounded by my enduring love." He kissed the ring after it was placed on my finger and I took his left hand in mine.

"Lester, my Maestro...I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you will be forever surrounded by my enduring love." I placed a kiss on his ring. When my eyes met his again, the pull to just ravage his lips with mine was almost too much. We began to move closer together when the JP started again.

"Since this couple is so anxious to finish this...Lester and Stephanie, by the power vested in me by the great state of New Jersey, I now pronounce you husband and wife. NOW...you may kiss your bride." Those were the words that I had wanted to hear all day and the second that they were spoken, Les' lips met mine in a passionate, yet respectful first kiss as husband and wife. When we finally pulled away, breathless, I realized that the crowd was clapping and the JP was smiling at us.

"Family and Friends, it is my great honor to present to you for the first time Lester and Stephanie Santos." More cheers erupted as Les led me back down the aisle.

The rest of that night passed in a blur of congratulations and wonderful celebrations. We danced our first dance as husband and wife on the small wooden dance floor while Garth Brooks sang our song. It wasn't a traditional wedding dance song, but it meant so much to us that we decided to use it. Les sang the words to me as we danced under the stars.

When it was time for the toasts, I got a little nervous. I had no idea what the guys were going to say and they each wanted the chance to say something. Bobby was first.

"Les, I've known you for many years. You and I have been to hell and back together. I can remember you telling me about your dream girl one night while we were stuck in one of those hell holes. I thought she sounded amazing and I thought that you would never find her. I must say bro...Stephanie is nothing like what you described. She's one hundred times better. She truly is the other half of your soul and I am happy that you two found each other. I love you both. Congratulations!" Everyone took a drink of their champagne or sparkling grape juice for me and Bobby passed the microphone to Tank.

"Little Girl...I know that I haven't known you that long but from what I can see, you have a heart of gold. You trust unquestionably, you love unconditionally, and are loyal to your friends eternally. You and I have been through a lot together the past couple of months, but you never gave up. Even when the chips were stacked against you, you kept on fighting. You amaze me, Stephanie, and you are the perfect match to the knucklehead sitting next to you. You two are so much alike that it scares me. I love you both and wish you all the happiness that you both deserve." More drinks and Hector was handed the microphone.

_"My angel...you came into our lives like a whirlwind and continue to make our lives crazy. The unconditional love and respect that you show us is what makes me love you. I vowed to always protect you and I will keep that promise, even if that means I have to beat up your husband. He is right for you and you are perfect for him. You fit together like none I've ever seen. I love you both."_

The ones who spoke Spanish among us laughed and the rest just looked confused. I giggled and kissed my pale husband. I guess he didn't like the thought of Hector protecting me even from him. Hector passed Ranger the microphone and we settled in to listen.

"Stephanie...I don't know if you realize this, but Lester has been waiting for you his entire life. For the first eight years of his life, he was surrounded by love. His parents were the picture perfect happily married couple. He's looked for a mate since then to mirror what his parents had. He found that in you. You are the other half to his soul and I truly believe that you both were created to love each other. Les...I called you on your day off to cover a meeting for me. You weren't happy with me and I knew it, but it couldn't be helped. I sent you to meet the new bounty hunter that Vinnie hired. Did you ever think going into that meeting, you would meet your future wife?" Ranger stopped and looked at Les.

"Hell no!" Les laughed and I squeezed his hand remembering that day.

"You used to say that it was luck that I gave you that assignment. Bobby was at the office and could have done it, or I could have rescheduled my meeting and been the one to meet Stephanie. I often think about how different life would be if I had been the one to meet her first. I can almost guarantee that I would be in your spot now. However, I think the better man got that honor. It wasn't luck that brought you two together, it was fate. It was meant to be. Les, you are my cousin, but I love you like a brother. Your father would be so proud of the man who you have become. I know this, because I am proud of you. Stephanie, you are one of a kind and I'm honored to be called your friend. Welcome to the family! I love you both!" I couldn't stop the tears from falling as Ranger spoke and I noticed Les wipe his eyes a few times. When Ranger approached us, Les stood and gave him a tight man hug. Ranger handed the microphone to me. Les hadn't said that he wanted us to say something, but I felt I needed to.

"I want to thank each and every one of you for the kind words that you each just spoke. I'm honored to know each and everyone here tonight. You are more than just my friends, you are my family and I love each of you." I stopped and wiped a tear. Les stood up beside me and wrapped an arm around my waist, his way of giving me silent support.

"I want each of you here to know that I love this man beside me with every breath in my body. I never thought that I would find love again, let alone be married. Fate saw to it that I be given both. Now that we have a daughter on the way..." I paused and heard the gasps from everyone in attendance. Les and I begged the doctor to tell us the sex at my last appointment a few days ago. We were both thrilled.

"...now that we have a daughter on the way, our lives are going to be filled with even more love. I couldn't be happier than I am today. Thank you all for your support and for your encouragement." I turned off the microphone and kissed the man standing beside me.

"Are you mad that I told them the baby is a girl?" I whispered into Les' ear. He wanted to keep it a secret until the birth, but it kind of slipped out.

"No, my Love, I'm thrilled that you told. The guys have been bugging the crap out of me about it." He laughed and kissed me again as our friends and family clapped around us.

Many hours and who knows how many dances later the guests started to disperse. Les and I tried to shove people out the door as quickly as possible. We wanted to be alone on our wedding night. The guys and Ella promised to come over the next day to help us clean up and agreed that the afternoon was probably the best time. I wasn't going to be getting up early. I probably wouldn't even go to sleep before the sun came up.

Once the last guest showed themselves out the front door, Les and I were finally left alone in our backyard. He held his hand out to me and pulled me onto the dance floor. The music had long since stopped, but we slowly swayed together anyway. He started to sing to me and I laid my head on his shoulder listening to his words. It wasn't The Dance like he usually sang, but the lyrics brought tears to my eyes.

"What was the name of that song?" I asked through my tears when he stopped singing.

"Make You Feel My Love. A lot of artists have sung it, but that was the Garth Brooks version." I smiled and kissed him gently.

"For a guy who doesn't like country, you sure do know a lot of country songs." He smiled and lifted me into his strong arms.

"Come on, Mrs. Santos, it's way past time for you to FEEL my love." I laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows as he carried me over the threshold into the living room. He sat me down long enough to lock the door and set the alarm. The lights were turned off and I was once again picked up in strong arms.

"I love you, Mr. Santos." I kissed his nose as he carried me up the stairs.

"And I love you, Mrs. Santos." His foot kicked the bedroom door closed once we were inside and he sat me on the floor beside the bed. "Thank you for becoming my wife, Stephanie. My life isn't complete without you in it." He kissed me passionately. His lips were hungry for more but I pulled away before I lost myself in his kiss.

"Thank you for becoming my husband. You complete me just like I complete you." He smiled and his lips began their descent toward mine, but I stopped him by placing a finger in front of them right before they met mine. Les let out a groan and I giggled. I was only teasing him by making him wait, but it was fun. Tonight I was looking to be punished a little and I knew that my husband was 'up' for the job.

* * *

The bold part of the vows is a poem called Frau Ava


End file.
